Scaevola glandulifera

Scaevola glandulifera is an erect shrub which grows to a height of 50 cm.[5] The stems are not ribbed.[4] The leaves are stalkless, sometimes smooth edged, sometimes toothed, with a leaf blade which is 2-9 cm long and 1-10 mm wide. The flowers occur in terminal spikes. The corolla is 10-30 mm long, and has short hairs both simple and glandular with occasionally longer, stiff, yellow hairs on the outside. It is bearded inside and a deep blue-purple colour. The ovary has two locules. The cup which holds the style (indusium) is 1.5-3 mm wide, and hairy on both the inner and outer surfaces. The fruit is obovoid and up to 4 mm long and can be with or without a hairy surface.[5]

It flowers from August to December, January.[4][5]

In Western AustraliaScaevola glandulifera is found in the IBRA bioregions of Geraldton Sandplains, Swan Coastal Plain, Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Warren and Esperance Plains (or in the South West Botanical Province.[4]

Scaevola glandulifera was first described in 1839 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.[1][2]

The genus name, Scaevola, is Latin, a diminutive of scaeva, the left-handed, referring to the left-handed Roman, Gaius Mucius Scaevola, made famous by Livy, the flower being so like a hand.[6] The specific epithet, glandulifera, comes from the Latin, glandula (gland) and ferre (carry/bear), giving "gland-bearing".[7]

• Scaevola glandulifera: Occurrence data from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium