Common name: Slender Westringia, Slender Western Rosemary
Westringia eremicola A.Cunn. ex Benth. APNI*
Synonyms: Westringia eremicola var. quaterna Benth. APNI*
Westringia longifolia var. eremicola F.Muell. APNI*
Description: Shrub to 1.5 m high.
Leaves in whorls of 3 or rarely 4, lamina narrow-elliptic to linear, usually 8–20 mm long, 0.8–1.6 mm wide, length to breadth ratio 6–20, margins entire and recurved, often such that lower surface almost concealed; both surfaces moderately to densely hairy with ± appressed, simple, antrorse hairs; petiole 0.5–0.7 mm long.
Bracteoles 0.8–2 mm long. Calyx green, outer surface densely hairy; tube 2.5–4 mm long; lobes triangular, 1–3 mm long, 1–2 mm wide; lobe to tube ratio 0.3–1.3. Corolla 6.5–8.5 mm long, lilac, mauve or purple, rarely white, usually with orange to brown dots.
Flowering: throughout year.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in mallee in sandy soils or (var.
NSW subdivisions: CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. S.A.
Plants from southern SC and southeast Vic. tend to have longer leaves than the plants from the drier parts of the N.S.W., Vic. and S.A. These plants may represent an undescribed taxon. The status of var quaterna is unclear. It has leaves in whorls of 4 and occurs inriparian forest communities. [W. species in Jacobs & Pickard (1981)]
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.