Scaevola Parvifolia
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''Scaevola parvifolia'' (common name - camel weed) is an erect, many stemmed perennial in the family Goodeniaceae, which is native to Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia. It grows to a height of 0.6 m, and its blue-purple flowers may be seen from March to October.


Description

''Scaevola parvifolia'' is an, erect, many-stemmed perennial growing to 60 cm tall, with hairs at 90°; stems scarcely striate. The basal leaves have no stalks, are linear to lanceolate, entire, with leaf blades 18–35 mm long by 3–6 mm wide. The leaves on the stems, however, are ovate to linear, with blades which are 1.5 to 27 mm long. The inflorescences are thyrses (compound inflorescences ending in a vegetative bud and with mixed types of branching with the main axis bearing several or many lateral cymes), which are up to 40 cm long. The bracts are leafy and the flower stalk is up to 6.5 cm long. The sepals are triangular and free (or join only at the base). The blue to white corolla is 13–32 mm long, with hairs on the outside, and bearded inside. The fruit is ellipsoidal is 4–8 mm long, is hairy, has striations, and tubercles (small wart-like outgrowths).


Distribution and habitat

It is found in the arid regions of Western Australia, central Australia and Queensland, growing on red sand, clay or loamy soils, on sandplains & dunes.


Taxonomy and etymology

It was first described and named by
Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...
in 1868, and its specific epithet, ''parvifolia'', is derived from the Latin, ''parvus'' ("small") and ''folium'' ("leaf") thereby giving an adjective which describes the plant as "small-leaved".


Gallery

Scaevola parvifolia - Flickr - Kevin Thiele.jpg Scaevola parvifolia (15231860590).jpg


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17480593 parvifolia Eudicots of Western Australia Asterales of Australia Plants described in 1868 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller Taxa named by George Bentham