Ngalia Name: Mintjintja
Botanical Name: Eremophila alternifolia
Common Name: Native Honeysuckle
Appearance
Eremophila alternifolia is a shrub with many branches and varying in height but mostly 1–4 m (3–10 ft). leaves vary in shape from almost cylinder-shaped to flattened and egg-shaped but have a small point on the end. The flowers are purple, red, pink, white, cream, or yellow and appear on the plant from early winter to early autumn.
Flowering occurs from June to October and is followed by fruit which are cone-shaped, dry, woody, glabrous and 5–7 mm long.
Distribution
Carlisle, Carnegie, Central, Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Mallee, Eastern Murchison, Hampton, Mann-Musgrave Block, Maralinga, Mardabilla, Nullarbor Plain, Recherche, Shield, Southern Cross, Tallering, Western Murchison.
Uses
Parts of this plant have been used as a traditional medicine. A small quantity was used in a preparation for treating colds and inflammation of the throat, an infusion of the leaves as a soporific, and other parts combined as a topical treatment. An indigenous name for the plant, Tarrtjan translated as "Goldfields". Compounds such as verbascoside present in the leaves of this species have been shown to have both antibacterial properties and the ability to dilate blood vessels.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eremophila_alternifolia
