Eremophila Jucunda

''Eremophila jucunda'' is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small to medium-sized shrub with hairy branches and leaves, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves and cream-coloured, lilac or purple flowers.

Description

''Eremophila jucunda'' is a small to medium shrub, depending on its habitat, growing to about tall on hard, stony clay to on hillsides. Its branches and leaves are covered with grey or lemon-yellow branched hairs, especially densely when young. The leaves are lance-shaped to egg-shaped, mostly long and wide.

The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a stalk long covered in hairs similar to those on the leaves. There are 5 pale yellowish-green to purplish-brown, linear to lance-shaped sepals which are mostly long but which enlarge after flowering. The sepals are covered with hairs similar to those on the young leaves. The petals are long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube may be white, cream-coloured, violet or purple on the outside and white, sometimes with purple spots inside. The outer surface of the petal tube and its lobes are mostly glabrous but the inside of the tube is filled with long hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from July to September and is followed by oval-shaped to conical fruits with a pointed end and which are long.

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described by Robert Chinnock in 2007 and the description was published in ''Eremophila and Allied Genera: A Monograph of the Plant Family Myoporaceae''. The specific epithet (''jucunda'') is a Latin word meaning "pleasant", "agreeable" or "delightful".

Two subspecies are recognized in the Australian Plant Census:
* ''Eremophila jucunda'' subsp. ''jucunda'' which has cream-coloured to lilac flowers, bright yellow hairs on the young branches, leaves and sepals, and hairs on the outside of the petal tube;
* ''Eremophila jucunda'' subsp. ''pulcherrima'' which has lilac-coloured to light purple flowers, grey hairs on the young growth and petals which are glabrous on the outside.

Distribution and habitat

''Eremophila jucunda'' subsp. ''jucunda'' is widespread on hills, ranges and plains between Sandstone and Mount Vernon in the Gascoyne, Murchison, Pilbara and Yalgoo
biogeographic regions. Subspecies ''pulcherrima'' grows mostly on slopes and rocky hills between Paraburdoo and Newman in the Gascoyne, Murchison and Pilbara biogeographic regions.

Conservation status

Both subspecies of ''E. jucunda'' are classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Use in horticulture

This eremophila grows best in warm inland areas - in southern Australia it tends to be prone to fungal disease. It can be propagated most easily by grafting onto ''Myoporum'' rootstock and grown in well-drained soils in full sun. It needs only occasional watering during a long drought but is sensitive to frost which can damaged the stems.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15594582

Eudicots of Western Australia
jucunda
Flora of South Australia
Plants described in 2007
Taxa named by Robert Chinnock