Scaevola parvifolia

Scaevola parvifolia (common name - camel weed)[4] is an erect, many stemmed perennial in the family Goodeniaceae, which is native to Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia.[5] It grows to a height of 0.6 m, and its blue-purple flowers may be seen from March to October.[4]

Scaevola parvifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Goodeniaceae
Genus: Scaevola
Species:
S. parvifolia
Binomial name
Scaevola parvifolia
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[3]

Lobelia parvifolia Kuntze
Scaevola daleana Blakely

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).[5]

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.[4]

Taxonomy and etymology

It was first described and named by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1868,[1][2] 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".[6]

References
  1. "Scaevola parvifolia". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  2. Bentham, G. (1868), Flora Australiensis 4: 91
  3. "Scaevola parvifolia F.Muell. ex Benth. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  4. "Scaevola parvifolia". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  5. Carolin, R.C. (2020). "Scaevola parvifolia". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  6. "parvifolius,-a,-um". www.plantillustrations.org. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
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