Silky eremophila

Description

Eremophila nivea, commonly known as silky eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. In nature it is a rare shrub with hairy branches and leaves, and blue, purple or violet flowers. Eremophila nivea is an erect shrub which grows to a height of between 0.8–1.6 m (3–5 ft). Its branches, leaves and sepals are covered with a layer of soft white to greyish matted hairs giving the plant a silvery-greyish appearance. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches and are linear in shape, mostly 8–18 mm (0.3–0.7 in) long, 1.5–2.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) wide and have a covering of woolly hairs. The flowers are borne singly or in pairs in leaf axils on woolly stalks 2–5.5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long. There are 5 overlapping, triangular to lance-shaped, tapering sepals which are 14–21 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long and have purplish-black tips. The petals are 15–23 mm (0.6–0.9 in) long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is lilac-coloured, white with yellow-brown spots inside. The outer surface of the tube and both surfaces of the lobes are glabrous but the inside of the tube is filled with long, soft hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruits which follow are dry, woody, oval-shaped with a pointed end and 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long. Eremophila nivea is only known in the wild from near Three Springs in the Avon Wheatbelt and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. Only a few populations are known, some of which are in danger of roadworks as they occur on road verges. It grows in sandy clay and clay-loam.