Eremophila alternifolia

Location & distribution maps

Common name:         Narrow-leaved Emu Bush

• Also, narrow-leaved poverty bush

• Other common names are round-leaved poverty bush, scented poverty bush, emubush, native honeysuckle, honeysuckle and narrow-leaved fuchsia bush

Conservation status: Not threatened

• In Western Australia this poverty bush is widespread and is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife

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

• The specific epithet (alternifolia) is a botanical term meaning "having leaves that alternate on each side of a stem"

Flowers:                  

• The flowers are purple, red, pink, white, cream, or yellow and appear on the plant from early winter to early autumn

• The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils on an s-shaped stalk which is usually 20–40 mm long

• There are 5 greenish-yellow or reddish, egg-shaped sepals, mostly 7–10 mm long with the outer ones slightly smaller

• The 5 petals are 18–30 mm long and joined at their base to form a tube with the upper 4 lobes pointed and the lower one spreading

• Flowering occurs from June to October

Fruit:                         

• Cone-shaped, dry, woody, glabrous and 5–7 mm long

Leaves:         

• The leaves are arranged alternately and are usually 20–40 mm long, 1–3 mm wide although other dimensions are common

• The leaves vary in shape from almost cylinder-shaped to flattened and egg-shaped but have a small point on the end

Stem & branches: 

• The branches have many raised resin glands and raised leaf scars

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Eremophila alternifolia is a shrub with many branches and varying in height but mostly 1–4 m

Habitat:   

• Occurs  in many different habitats with stony or red soil

Distribution:                  

• Eremophila alternifolia occurs in arid areas of Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory and the Barrier Range in New South Wales

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy 

  • The species was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae

  • In 1870, George Bentham described two subspecies in Flora Australiensis:

    • E. alternifolia R.Br. var. alternifolia has more cylindrical or needle-shaped leaves, usually spotted petals and a wider distribution, mainly north of the Trans-Australian Railway and including the Northern Territory and New South Wales

    • E. alternifolia R.Br. var. latifolia F.Muell. ex Benth. has broader leaves, flowers without spots and is found mainly south of the Trans-Australian Railway in Western Australia and South Australia 

• Uses

• Medicine

  • Parts of this plant have been used as a traditional medicine

  • A small quantity was used in a preparation for treating colds and inflammation of the throat, an infusion of the leaves as a soporific, and other parts combined as a topical treatment

  • An indigenous name for the plant, Tarrtjan translated as "Goldfields", a region in the West where it is found

  • Compounds such as verbascoside present in the leaves of this species have been shown to have both antibacterial properties and the ability to dilate blood vessels

• Horticulture

  • This eremophila is an attractive shrub which is covered with masses of flowers in season

  • As with other members of the genus, it is sold as a drought resistant garden plant that is appealing to birds

  • It is a common garden plant, growing best in dry climates, but has also been grown in more humid areas

  • Most forms are moderately frost tolerant but require well-drained soil and full sun

  • It is most easily propagated from cuttings

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eremophila_alternifolia (2023)