Edginton, Eremophila woodiae 
section 0.5-1 mm long formed by the central 
vein. Flowers 1 per axil; pedicels semi-terete, 
1-2 mm long, dark red-brown to yellow in 
dried specimens, becoming grey with age. 
Sepals 5, slightly imbricate, 12-14.5 mm long, 
resinous, acute; differentiated into 1 posterior, 
2 anterior and two inner ones; posterior sepal 
ovate-lanceolate, 5-6 mm wide; anterior 
sepals broadly triangular-lanceolate, 3-4 mm 
wide; inner sepals triangular-lanceolate, 2-3 
mm wide. Corolla ± zygomorphic, bilabiate, 
14-19 mm long, violet to light purple, 
unspotted; tube 11-14 mm long, bulbous 
at base, slightly constricted above and then 
dilating gradually distally; upper lip 4-5 mm 
long, 2 lobed, lobes obtuse, divided for c. Vie 
of length; lower lip 4-5 mm long, 3-lobed, the 
lobes divided for most of their length, medial 
one obtuse, slightly longer and broader than 
the lateral ones which are obtuse to subacute; 
outer surface of upper tube and lobes sparsely 
to moderately villous, hairs colourless, 
eglandular, constriction and lowermost part of 
tube glabrous; inner surface of lobes glabrous; 
tube prominently woolly in throat just below 
lobes of upper lip, otherwise villous in upper 
part, glabrous in lower part, hairs eglandular. 
Stamens 4; anthers 2-2.5 mm long, lower 2 
enclosed, upper two barely exserted from 
throat, glabrous; filaments sparsely villous 
with white eglandular hairs near base, 
glabrous above; ovary conical-ovoid, slightly 
to moderately laterally compressed, 2-3 mm 
long, 1-1.5 mm wide, glabrous, 4-locular; 3 
ovules per locule; style c. 10 mm, sparsely 
villous with white eglandular hairs. Fruit 
(mature) ovate-conical, 5-8 x 3.5-5.5 mm, 
exocarp papery, whitish, glabrous; endocarp 
woody, slightly compressed, subreticulately 
ribbed distally, red-brown; immature fruit 
enclosed by sepals. Figs. 1-5. 
Additional specimens examined: Queensland. Gregory 
North District: 18 km SW of Opalton, Nov 1986, 
Neldner 2619 & Nicholson (BRI). Mitchell District: 
25 km SW of Vergemont Station, W of Longreach, Sep 
1989, Mitchell 463 (BRI); Vergemont Station, May 2011, 
Fensham 6101 & Silcock (BRI); Vergemont Station, W 
of Longreach, Sep 2013, Fensham 6376 (BRI), 6379 
(BRI), 6380 (BRI). 
Distribution and habitat : Eremophila 
woodiae is endemic to western central 
Queensland, in the vicinity of Opalton and 
409 
Vergemont Stations west of Longreach and 
south of Winton (Map 1). 
The species occurs on barren plateaux, 
especially near the edges, in skeletal soil with 
sparse, stunted shrubland. There is one record 
from the base of a jump-up in “boree ( Acacia 
tephrina) and spinifex ( Triodia sp./spp.) flats” 
(Neldner 2619 & Nicholson). Associated 
species commonly include Acacia shirleyi 
Maiden, A. catenulata C.T.White, A. sibirica 
S.Moore, Corymbia blakei K.D.Hill & 
L.A.S. Johnson, Eremophila latrobei F.Muell., 
Hakea collina C.T.White, Triodia longiceps 
J.M.Black and T. pungens R.Br. (Silcock 
& Fensham 2014; Queensland Herbarium 
HERBRECS data 2015). 
Phenology : The specimens collected indicate 
that flowering and fruiting occurs between 
May to November. 
Affinities: Eremophila woodiae bears 
a superficial resemblance to E. hispida 
Chinnock, which has a known distribution 
which is close to, but does not quite overlap, 
that of E. woodiae. Both taxa are low shrubs 
with leaves which appear linear when 
viewed without a microscope, and both 
species have violet to purple flowers 15-20 
mm long. Eremophila woodiae has leaves 
which are linear-lanceolate when viewed 
microscopically (linear on E. hispida ); very 
crowded leaves (not crowded on E. hispida), 
simple hairs only on all parts (simple hairs, 
with or without some stellate hairs on 
branchlets, leaves and sepals on E. hispida ), 
and the top % to Vz of each leaf has lobes 
(entire leaves on E. hispida). Despite the 
superficial resemblance, E. woodiae and E. 
hispida are unlikely to be close relations. 
Eremophila woodiae can be classified 
in Eremophila section Eremaeae Chinnock 
based on the species description (Chinnock 
pers. comm., July 2015). Chinnock further 
stated that the corolla was interesting and 
appeared slightly different (based on the 
single image of a flower seen) in having two 
obtuse upper lobes; however, as there can be 
variation in the size of the flowers and the 
arrangement of the lower lobes in species 
of this section more flowers from different 
