''Scaevola basedowii'' is an erect, multi-stemmed shrub which grows to 60 cm high, which often spreads by cloning. The stems are ribbed, and
have tiny gland-tipped hairs, as well as short stiff non-glandular hairs, and
scattered longer, non-glandular hairs. The sessile, leaves are alternate, with the lower leaves being well developed while the upper leaves often resembling scales. The leaf blades can vary from oblong to elliptic, lanceolate or triangular and are entire. They can be sparsely or densely hairy with hairs of the same type as the stems and are 2.5 –21 mm long by 2–4 mm wide. The stalked, five-lobed flowers have a tube greater than one-third their total length. Each lobe has marginal wings. The pale-purplish to white corolla is split on one side almost to the base. The corolla is bearded inside the throat. There are five stamens, and the style is surmounted by a cup (
indusium
A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. A coenosorus (plural coenosori) is a compound sorus composed of multiple, fused sori.
Etymology
This New Latin word is from Ancient ...
) which holds the shed pollen, and wraps the two-lobed stigma. The indusium is covered in dense, whitish bristles, with shorter bristles around the opening. The ovary is ellipsoid, with two cells and is densely hairy. The fruit is ellipsoid, with the calyx persisting at its base.
In Western Australia it flowers from May to December. In the Northern Territory it has been found flowering and fruiting from January to December, and the South Australian description describes it as flowering any time of the year.
''Scaevola basedowii'' is like both '' S. depauperata'' and '' S. parvifolia'' subsp. ''parvifolia''.
''Scaevola depauperata'' differs from ''S.basedowii'' in having smooth stems or stems with very inconspicuous minute hairs.
''Scaevola parvifolia'' subsp. ''parvifolia'' has a shorter calyx (1–2 mm long) with united lobes for less than one third the calyx length versus a calyx of 2-3.5 mm in ''S.basedowii''. An additional difference is that the stems of ''S. parvifolia'' subsp. ''parvifolia'' are felty to the touch, having a longer and denser hair layer.
It has no synonyms.
Distribution & habitat
In Western Australia''Scaevola basedowii'' is found in the IBRA bioregions of
Central Ranges
Central Ranges (code CER) is an Australian bioregion, with an area of 101,640.44 square kilometres (39,244 sq mi) spreading across two states and one territory: South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.Coolgardie,
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert is a large desert in Western Australia, largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the fifth largest desert in Australia, after the Great Victoria, Great Sandy, Tanami and Simpson deserts. The ...
,
Great Sandy Desert
The Great Sandy Desert is an interim Australian bioregion,IBRA Version 6.1 data
Little Sandy Desert
The Little Sandy Desert (LSD) is a desert region in the state of Western Australia, lying to the east of the Pilbara and north of the Gascoyne regions. It is part of the Western Desert cultural region, and was declared an interim Australian ...
Burt Plain
Burt Plain, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Northern Territory,IBRA Ver ...
,
Central Ranges
Central Ranges (code CER) is an Australian bioregion, with an area of 101,640.44 square kilometres (39,244 sq mi) spreading across two states and one territory: South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.Finke Finke or Fincke is the name of:
Places
;Australia
*Finke, Northern Territory, a community in central Australia now known as Aputula
*Finke bioregion, An IBRA region in the Northern Territory
*Finke River, a river in central Australia
*Finke Gorge ...
,
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert is a large desert in Western Australia, largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the fifth largest desert in Australia, after the Great Victoria, Great Sandy, Tanami and Simpson deserts. The ...
,
Great Sandy Desert
The Great Sandy Desert is an interim Australian bioregion,IBRA Version 6.1 data
MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges, or Tjoritja in Arrernte, is a mountain range located in southern Northern Territory. MacDonnell Ranges is also the name given to an interim Australian bioregion broadly encompassing the mountain range, with an area of .< ...
, and
Tanami Tanami may refer to.
Places
* Tanami (IBRA region), a biogeographic region in Australia
* Tanami, Northern Territory, a locality in Australia
*Tanami Desert, a desert in Australia
*Tanami Downs, a pastoral lease in Australia
*Tanami Road
__NOT ...
.
In South Australia it occurs in the northwest of the state (no IBRA regions given).
It is found on sand dunes and sandplains.
Taxonomy
''Scaevola basedowii'' was first described in 1980 by Roger Carolin in an article in the journal, Telopea.
Etymology
The genus name, ''Scaevola'', is Latin, a diminutive of ''scaeva'', the left-handed, referring to the left-handed Roman, Gaius Mucius Scaevola, made famous by Livy, the flower being so like a hand.Lewis, C.T. & Short, C Latin dictionary:''Scaevola'' Retrieved 12 May 2019. The specific epithet, ''basedowii'', honours the collector of the type specimen,
Herbert Basedow
Herbert Basedow (27 October 1881 – 4 June 1933) was an Australian anthropologist, geologist, politician, explorer and medical practitioner.
Basedow was born in Kent Town, South Australia. His early education was in Adelaide, South Australia ...