Scaevola depauperata, commonly known as skeleton fan-flower,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It is a small understorey shrub with blue, mauve or cream-white flowers. It grows in mainland states of Australia with the exception of Western Australia.

Skeleton fan-flower
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Goodeniaceae
Genus: Scaevola
Species:
S. depauperata
Binomial name
Scaevola depauperata
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[2]
  • Lobelia depauperata Kuntze
  • Merkusia depauperata de Vriese
  • Scaevola patens F.Muell.

Description edit

Scaevola depauperata is an upright, many stemmed perennial up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high with small glandular and simple hairs, the stems almost smooth and ridged. The leaves at the base are sessile, ovate to spoon-shaped, toothed, 60 mm (2.4 in) long and 15 mm (0.59 in) wide, older leaves more or less triangular and up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The corolla is cream, blue or mauve, occasionally with darker lines, petals tapering to a point, 2–30 mm (0.079–1.181 in) long, the outside covered with small, soft, upright hairs, inside thickly bearded, and the wings 1 mm (0.039 in) wide. The peduncle up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long, sepals are triangular shaped, 1–4 mm (0.039–0.157 in) long, fused at the base and the bracteoles triangular shaped and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long. Flowering occurs from April to December and the fruit ellipsoid shaped, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, warty, with tiny, simple and glandular hairs sometimes longer and simple.[3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming edit

Scaevola depauperata was first formally described in 1849 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia from a report of expeditions into Central Australia by Charles Sturt.[6][7] The specific epithet (depauperata) means "reduced".[8]

Distribution and habitat edit

Skeleton fan-flower grows on sand dunes and sandy soils in mallee in South Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory, New South Wales and Queensland.[3][9]


Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Scaevola depauerata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Scaevola depauperata". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Carolin, R.C. "Scaevola depauperata". PlantNET-NSW flora online. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. ^ Carolin, R.C. "Scaevola depauperata". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Scaevola depauperata". eFloraSA-Electronic Flora of South Australia. State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Scaevola depauperata". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  7. ^ Brown, Robert (1849). Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia (2 ed.). p. 83. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  8. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 181. ISBN 9780958034180.
  9. ^ "'Scaevola depauperata". VICFLORA-Flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Garden Victoria. Retrieved 13 March 2022.