Eremophila lanceolata
Eremophila lanceolata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with foliage which is shiny when young, angular branches and lilac to purple flowers and which grows in the north-west of Western Australia. Description. "Eremophila lanceolata" is a spreading shrub which grows to a height of with branches that are mostly glabrous, sticky and shiny when young, due to the presence of resin. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches and are long, wide, elliptic to lance-shaped, mostly glabrous, sticky and shiny  when young. The margins of the leaves often have distinct teeth. The flowers are usually borne singly in leaf axils on an S-shaped stalk, usually long. There are 5 overlapping, green, lance-shaped, sepals which are mostly long. The petals are long and are joined at their lower end to form a tube. The petal tube is deep lilac to purple on the outside and white with dark purple spots on the inside. The outside of the petal tube is hairy but the inside surface of the lobes is glabrous while the inside of the tube is filled with  woolly hairs. The 4 stamens are fully enclosed in the petal tube. Flowering occurs from March to October and the fruits which follow are oval to almost spherical, dry with a hairy, papery covering and are about long. Eremophila lanceolata (flower).jpg 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 ("lanceolata") is a Latin word meaning "lance-like". Distribution and habitat. "Eremophila lanceolata" occurs in wide area of the Pilbara and south to Karalundi and  between Newman and Mount Augustus in the Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert and Pilbara biogeographic regions. Conservation status. This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Use in horticulture. This eremophila is an attractive small shrub which will grow well in a container and thrive in areas like Sydney or the coast of Victoria. It can be propagated from cuttings or by grafting, prefers a well-drained soil but will grow in either full sun or a partially shaded position. It is drought tolerant, although may need occasional watering if  grown in a container but needs protection from frost.