Synonyms: Scaevola balansae Guill. APNI*
Scaevola biflora APNI*
Scaevola gracilis APNI*
Scaevola montana APNI*
Scaevola plumieri APNI*
Scaevola procera APNI*
Scaevola racemigera Däniker APNI*
Scaevola taitensis APNI*
Description: Perennial herbs or shrubs to 3 m high, variously hairy.
Leaves usually alternate, mostly with a tuft of axillary hairs in the axil; sessile or petiolate.
Flowers in thyrses, racemes or spikes; stalks articulate, with bracteoles. Sepals 5, shortly fused. Corolla white to various shades of blue or mauve with white or yellow throat, [rarely yellow], tubular, usually opened along the anterior slit like a fan; often hairy in throat with simple hairs and usually also with long multicellular trichomes which may be simple, capitate, papillate or hairy at apex; lobes usually equal, winged; not auriculate; anterior pouch absent. Stamens free from each other, epigynous. Ovary inferior, 2-locular except S. albida which is apparently 1-locular [1 species with 4] style simple; indusium ± horizontal usually with bristles on lips; ovules 1 or 2 [rarely 4].
Fruit indehiscent; mesocarp fleshy to almost dry; endocarp hard; seeds ovoid, not winged, caruncle absent.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 96 species, subtropical Southern Hemisphere & Caribbean. Australia: 71 species (70 species endemic), mainland States.
Text by R. C. Carolin
Taxon concept:
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Scaevola collina,
Scaevola taccada
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Flowers stalked below the bracteoles | 2 |
| Flowers sessile below bracteoles (i.e. bracteoles in axil of bract) | 5 |
| 2 | Cauline leaves mostly reduced to triangular scales up to 3 mm long; stems glabrous | Scaevola depauperata |
| Cauline leaves not reduced; stems hairy
Back to 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Shrubs with thorns, often with branched hairs | Scaevola spinescens |
| Herbs or shrubs without thorns, without branched hairs
Back to 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Bracteoles linear to oblanceolate, more than 10 mm long | Scaevola ramosissima |
| Bracteoles elliptic to oblong; less than 10 mm long
Back to 3 | Scaevola hookeri |
| 5 | Plants hairy, occasionally more or less glabrous | 6 |
| Plants glabrous
Back to 1 | Scaevola collaris |
| 6 | Indusium with a tuft of prominent stiff often purplish hairs at the base which are longer than the bristles on the lips | 7 |
| Indusium with short stiff usually white hairs at base shorter than bristles on lips or with longer weaker hairs in same position
Back to 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Hairs on stem white; drier western areas and tablelands | Scaevola humilis |
| Hairs on stem yellowish; damper coastal districts
Back to 6 | Scaevola aemula |
| 8 | Fruit fleshy, purplish white; hairs on leaves appressed; prostrate plant of coastal dunes | Scaevola calendulacea |
| Fruit dry, green; hairs on leaves not appressed; plants rarely on coastal dunes
Back to 6 | 9 |
| 9 | Corolla densely bearded inside; drier western areas | Scaevola parvibarbata |
| Corolla with only a few scattered hairs inside; eastern areas with higher rainfall
Back to 8 | Scaevola albida |
|
