Eremophila
Poverty Bush
Poverty Bush
Wikipedia links: Angiosperms > Eudicots > Asterids > Lamiales > Scrophulariaceae > Eremophila
Other links:
Common name: Poverty Bush
Some species have common names including emu bush, poverty bush or fuchsia bush, reflecting the belief that emus eat the fruit, their arid environment or a superficial resemblance to the flowers of plants in the genus Fuchsia
Conservation status: varies
Many are rare or threatened by human activities such as land clearing, pastoral activity and mining
Etymology:
Eremophila is derived from the Ancient Greek ἐρῆμος (erêmos) meaning "lonely" or "desert" and φίλος (phílos) meaning “dear" or "beloved” alluding to the species' adaptation to arid environments
Flowers:
The flowers usually have 5 spreading sepals and 5 petals which are joined into a tube, at least at the base
The most common flower colours are red, purple, lilac and mauve but others are white and even green
Many species have flowers which have a combination of colours, or have spotted or streaked markings, or both
Sometimes only the petals are coloured but often the sepals are also colourful
There is variation in flower shape, the most common being two petals at the top of the tube and three below, with the stamens enclosed in the tube as in the case of E. exilifolia. Species with this arrangement are generally insect-pollinated, the lower petals acting as a landing area
Less common are those that have four petal lobes at the top of the flower, one below which is curled under the flower and the stamens extending beyond the petal tube, as in the case of E. glabra
These flowers are generally bird pollinated, the bird holding the plant stem while it visits the flower
A few others have flowers with a combination of these arrangements
As the flower ages, the corolla falls off, then the calyx enlarges and becomes coloured as the fruit enlarges
Fruit:
The fruits contain from 2 to 12 seeds
They may lie dormant in the ground for many years until disturbed by fire, heavy rainfall and sometimes by human activity such as roadworks
Leaves:
Leaf size and shape is also variable but the leaves are usually small and are often shiny or hairy
Stem & branches:
Roots:
Some species such as E. sturtii reproduce by suckering and have become troublesome weeds in some areas
Habit:
Eremophilas vary in size and habit from low, prostrate shrubs such as E. serpens to small trees in the case of E. bignoniiflora
Habitat:
They are most common in arid areas
Distribution:
Eremophilas are distributed across the Australian mainland, primarily in arid regions and the majority of species occur in Western Australia
Eremophila maculata is found in all Australian states but there are no eremophilas in Tasmania
Eremophila debilis is found in New Zealand although its appearance there is thought to be recent, most likely as a result of introduction by people
At least 229 species are found in Western Australia and about 80% of those are endemic to that state
In the Meekatharra-Wiluna area there are more than 50 eremophila species and are the most common shrubs encountered
A few species, including E. complanata and E. mirabilis have very restricted distributions and only occur on one or two rocky outcrops
Species:
World: > 270
Australia: all endemic
Additional notes:
Taxonomy and naming
A genus in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae
The genus Eremophila was first formally described in 1810 by the botanist Robert Brown in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae and the first species to be named were E. oppositifolia and E. alternifolia but Brown did not nominate a type species
The Victorian government botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller was the most influential early naturalist to take an interest in the genus and described 47 species, many of which were collected during expeditions to remote areas of Australia
Robert Chinnock is the modern authority who has named more than 100 species of eremophilas but because many species grow in rarely visited places, more remain to be named
So far, 221 species have been described but another 40 have been discovered but not yet described
The most recent additions to the list are Eremophila buirchellii and Eremophila calcicola which were formally described in 2016Eremophila subfloccosa
Species list
Common names
A significant number of eremophilas have the term emu bush or poverty bush as part of their common names, although sometimes two species have the same common name and sometimes one species has more than one common name
Of the approximately 270 species, the following have at least one common name:
Emu bush
E. alternifolia – narrow-leaved emu bush
E. bignoniiflora – gooramurra, bignonia emu bush
E. compacta – compact emu bush
E. divaricata – spreading emu bush
E. elderi – aromatic emu bush
E. gilesii – Charleville turkey bush, green turkey bush, Giles emu bush
E. glabra – common emu bush
E. glutinosa – sticky emu bush
E. hillii – Hill's emu bush
E. lactea – milky emu bush
E. maculata – spotted emu bush
E. polyclada – twiggy emu-bush
E. scaberula – rough emu bush
E. scoparia – silver emu bush, broom bush
Poverty bush
E. abietina – spotted poverty bush
E. anomala – Paroo poverty bush
E. attenuata – Connie Sue poverty bush
E. aureivisca – Rason poverty bush
E. battii – Batt's poverty bush
E. bowmanii – Bowman's poverty bush
E. campanulata – bell-flowered poverty bush
E. ciliata – Archer's poverty bush
E. denticulata – toothed poverty bush
E. foliosissima – poverty bush
E. granitica – granite poverty bush, thin-leaved poverty bush
E. maitlandii – Shark Bay poverty bush
E. malacoides – frontage poverty bush
E. margarethae – sandbank poverty bush
E. metallicorum – miners poverty bush
E. micrantha – small-flowered poverty bush
E. parvifolia – small-leaved poverty bush
E. pterocarpa – wing-fruited eremophila, silver poverty bush
E. spectabilis – showy poverty bush
E. spinescens – spiny poverty bush
Ecology
Eremophila includes entomophilous species, with flowers adapted to attract insects, and ornithophilous species, with flowers that attract birds
Entomophilous flowers have protruding lower lips, which provide a landing area for insects, and they are often blue, purple, or white
Bird-adapted flowers are red, orange, yellow, or green, and have lobes pointing downwards which discourages insects
Bird pollinated species also tend to have longer stamens, which brush pollen onto and off the bird's head as it feeds
The fruits are eaten by emus, which disperse the seeds in their droppings although the belief that this aids in the germination of the seeds is mistaken
Some species of Eremophila, such as E.freelingii and E.latrobei are toxic to stock whereas others, including E.bignoniiflora and E.oppositifolia are useful fodder plants
Uses
Indigenous uses
Aboriginal people used eremophilas for cultural and health reasons
For example, the Adnyamathanha people used Varti-varka (Eremophila longifolia) in burial ceremonies and in initiation ceremonies
Skin complaints were treated with a mixture of emu oil and the ash from burned bark of the plant
Use in horticulture
Eremophilas have not often been cultivated in the past, although some species, including Eremophila maculata are well known
Their rarity in gardens was partly because they were difficult to propagate or because they were rarely seen, even in nature
As methods of propagating and growing have improved, the popularity of eremophilas has increased
The beauty and abundance of their flowers, variety of foliage and habit, and extended flowering period make them attractive garden plants
They are mostly drought resistant and many also tolerant of frost, allowing them to be grown in most situations
The difficulty of propagating from seed, and also sometimes from cuttings has prevented many species from being commercially available, but most species can be grafted onto rootstock of Myoporum species, giving the added advantage of being able to grow in almost any soil type, including heavy clay
Myoporum insulare, M. montanum and M. acuminatum are suitable, depending on where the plant is to be grown
It is possible to germinate eremophila seeds but the process involves either leaving the fruit in the ground for long periods or removing the seed from the fruit without damaging the seed
In nature, most eremophila grow where rainfall is infrequent and are adapted to dealing with long dry spells, even droughts lasting years
Eremophilas are therefore suited to low maintenance gardens, those where water supply is limited or where gardeners want a garden that does not require large volumes of water
In fact, excessive water can kill many species
In a severe drought, some species, such as E. microtheca can lose their leaves and appear to be dead after a long dry period, only to recover and turn into a compact, healthy-looking shrub after a deep watering
Most also grow in nutrient-poor soil, and fertiliser is rarely needed or beneficial.
Sources of information: