Plant story - Eremophila sp. is one of 550 species being collected in Australia
Eremophila "A48866 Rainbow Valley" is one of a number of species being collected in Australia as part of the Northern Territory project.
01 Dec 2009
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Immature fruit and flower of Eremophila A48866 Rainbow Valley (Photo: K. Baker)
Northern Territory project
The Northern Territory became a Millennium Seed Bank partner in November 2004. This region covers approximately 1.35 million km2 and extends from the arid inland of the continent to the northern tropics. The project is based in Alice Springs, which has a population of approximately 28 000 people and is located near the centre of Australia. The aim of the Northern Territory project is to collect 550 species over six years that are not already held within Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, West Sussex. As of August 2006, approximately 170 species had been collected and lodged at Wakehurst.
A number of botanically significant species have been collected to date, including Eremophila "A48866 Rainbow Valley". This prostrate shrub is classified as nationally vulnerable, having only seven known populations. These populations are found within an area of 25 x 61 km south of Alice Springs on red dune sand country. Field observations suggest that the germination of this species is stimulated by fire.
Story by Katherine Baker | More plant stories
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