''Teucrium eremaeum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil (herb), ba ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

or shrub with small, linear to lance-shaped leaves and white or cream-coloured flowers.

Description

''Teucrium eremaeum'' is a perennial herb or shrub that typically grows to a height of up to with stems that are square in cross-section. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, linear to lance-shaped, long and wide and covered with

glandular A gland is a cell or an organ in an animal's body that produces and secretes different substances that the organism needs, either into the bloodstream or into a body cavity or outer surface. A gland may also function to remove unwanted substance ...

hairs. The flowers are borne in leaf axils with bracteoles long, the

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s long and joined at the base. The petals are white or cream-coloured, long with four

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. Flowering occurs from September to November.

Taxonomy

''Teucrium eremaeum'' was formally described in 1904 by

Ludwig Diels Friedrich Ludwig Emil Diels (24 September 1874 – 30 November 1945) was a German botanist. Diels was born in Hamburg, the son of the classical scholar Hermann Alexander Diels. From 1900 to 1902 he traveled together with Ernst Georg Pritzel thro ...

in '' Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

(''eremaeum'') means "lonely or solitary", referring to the habitat of this species.

Distribution and habitat

This germander grows on the edges of salt lakes and in disturbed areas in the Coolgardie and Mallee biogeographic regions in the south-west of Western Australia.

Conservation status

''Teucrium eremaeum'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15371810 eremaeum Lamiales of Australia Plants described in 1905 Taxa named by Ludwig Diels Eudicots of Western Australia