Eremophila muelleriana [Round-leaved Eremophila]

[DaveO]

Oldfield, D. Eremophila muelleriana C. Gardner (Scrophulariaceae). Round-leaved Eremophila. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light.

http://www.ultraviol...ved-eremophila/

Other common names

Pound-Leaved Eremophila

 

Maldon, Victoria, Australia

3 October 2013

Wildflower as Garden Specimen

 

Comments

The most striking feature of Eremophila muelleriana is the flower color which is unlike any other species in the genus, the base color of the corolla is purple [Chinnock 2007: 524]. The species was named after Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. The corolla is UV-dark with blue pollen and stamens in this insect pollinated flower.

 

Visible Light: Pentax K-5 Full Spectrum Modification, Quartz 105 mm f/4.0 lens, Metz 15 MS-1 flash, 1/180 s @ f/16 ISO 200, B+W UV/IR Cut Filter.

Image Reference: DO51356

 

 

Ultraviolet Light: Pentax K-5 Full Spectrum Modification, Quartz 105 mm f/4.0 lens, Nikon SB-14 flash, 1/180 s @ f/16 ISO 200, Baader UV-Pass Filter.

Image Reference: DO51374

 

References:

Chinnock, R.J. Eremophila and Allied Genera, Rosenberg, 2007, p. 523

Atlas of Living Australia http://bie.ala.org.a...la+muelleriana#

 

 

Published 3 October 2013

[nfoto]

Congratulations with adding the first [endemic] Australian species to our ever-growing list of botanicals world wide! I look forward to seeing more examples in due time.

 

Dark flowers in UV usually signals a healthy presence of conical cells - do you have any photographic evidence of this for your Eremophila?

[DaveO]

I need to go back with my bellows racked out a bit more so I can see real detail not just noise

 

 

This is a 100% view of the curve in the stamen, there appear to be some lines where the specular highlight shows. The flat dark areas just show noise.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a Scanning Electron Microscope SEM. We used to have one where I worked. I did a bit in acoustics and the shape of conical cells reminds me very much of wedges which are used in acoustical or radar anechoic chambers. The height of the cone for good absorption is a quarter wavelength, so for 360 nm UV that means a cone of about 90 nm high. The specular reflections would come from the rounded peaks of the cones and the darkness from the dark valleys between the cones. As the wavelength increases into the visible the absorption disappears as the cones are then too short to be effective. I guess this is just another of my bright ideas that has no relationship to the truth.

[nfoto]

On the contrary, an interesting idea.

[Andrea B.]

Dave, good work !

Congratulations on your first formal post.

 

It is so cool to be getting our first Australian flower.

Looking forward to many more.

[DaveO]

Thanks Andrea and Bjorn,

 

As a chemist I know "the job's not done until the paperwork is finished" but when the weather is good my shutter finger gets to be much faster than my typing finger (yes that is one digit). As my school report often said "Must try harder!".

 

Cheers,

 

Dave