Dampiera purpurea, commonly known as the mountain- or purple dampiera, is a subshrub in the family Goodeniaceae

Goodeniaceae

Goodeniaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Asterales. It contains about 404 species in twelve genera. The family is distributed mostly in Australia, except for the genus Scaevola, which is pantropical...

 native to Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia. Its blue-purple flowers appear in spring and early summer (September to December), and it is pollinated by insects such as butterflies and bees. Adapting readily to cultivation, Dampiera purpurea is grown as a garden plant in Australia.

Taxonomy

The prolific botanist Robert Brown

Robert Brown (botanist)

Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...

 described Dampiera purpurea in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is an 1810 flora of Australia by botanist Robert Brown. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora...

. Its species name is the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 adjective purpureus "purple".

Description

Dampiera purpurea is an erect multi-stemmed plant to 1 m (4 ft) high with obovate to elliptic leaves which are 0.9 to 6 cm (0.4-2.4 in) long and 0.5 to 4.2 cm (0.2-1.7 in) wide. The stems and undersides of leaves are covered in fine hair and rough in texture, while the leaves are bare of hair when mature. The flowers are mainly produced between August and January in the species native range. Three to five flowers arise each on groups of two to nine flower-bearing branches. Reaching 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter, they are generally blue-purple in colour with yellow centres, though pink and white flowers have been recorded.

Distribution and habitat

Dampiera purpurea occurs in sclerophyll forest and heath in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 and Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

. In the Sydney region, it is found under such trees as smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata

Angophora costata

Angophora costata is a common woodland and forest tree of Eastern Australia and is known by a variety of names including smooth-barked apple, rose gum, rose apple or Sydney red gum. It grows primarily on sandstone soils, usually on headlands, plateaus or other elevated areas. A...

), yellow bloodwood (Corymbia eximia

Corymbia eximia

Corymbia eximia, commonly known as the Yellow Bloodwood, is a bloodwood native to New South Wales. It occurs around the Sydney Basin often in high rainfall areas on shallow sandstone soils on plateaux or escarpments, in fire prone areas. Growing as a gnarled tree to 20 m , it is recognisable by its...

), red bloodwood (C. gummifera

Corymbia gummifera

Corymbia gummifera, commonly known as Red Bloodwood, is a hardwood tree native to eastern Australia.-Description:It usually grows as a tree, but may take the form of a mallee in very poor soils. As a tree it typically grows to a height of 20 to 34 metres and a trunk diameter of one metre dbh....

), blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis

Eucalyptus pilularis

Eucalyptus pilularis, commonly known as Blackbutt, is a common and dominant tree of the myrtaceae family native to southeastern Australia. A large tree, it is identified by the stocking of rough bark, to about half way up the trunk, above this is white smooth bark. The leaves are a uniform glossy...

), monkey gum (E. cypellocarpa

Eucalyptus cypellocarpa

Mountain Grey Gum also known as the Mountain Gum, Monkey Gum or Spotted Mountain Grey Gum, is a straight, smooth barked forest tree. Often seen around 20 to 40 metres tall...

), silvertop ash (E. sieberi

Eucalyptus sieberi

Eucalyptus sieberi, the Silvertop Ash or Black Ash is a common eucalyptus tree of south eastern Australia. The range of distribution is in the higher rainfall areas, from near sea level to high altitude...

), Sydney peppermint (E. piperita

Eucalyptus piperita

Eucalyptus piperita, commonly known as Sydney Peppermint and Urn-fruited Peppermint, is a small to medium forest tree native to New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...

), predominantly on sandstone-based soils but sometimes also clay soils, and generally in places with good drainage. the annual rainfall is 800 to 1600 mm.

Ecology

Dampiera purpurea is killed by bushfire, with new shoots arising from ground level. These can then flower in ten months, peaking around two to three years after a fire. It also regenerates by seed from fire.

Butterflies of the families Lycaenidae

Lycaenidae

The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...

 and Hesperiidae and european honeybees forage at the flowers, and are likely pollinators.

Cultivation

Dampiera purpurea can be grown in cool to subtropical climates. It is a variable species, reflected by the many forms in cultivation. Preferring a lightly shaded position, it also adapts to full sun and has some frost tolerance.
It is adaptable to most reasonably drained soils and will withstand dry periods once established, though best results are obtained though a steady supply of moisture in spring and summer. It can be more vigorous in heavier soils. A light pruning after flowering keeps plants in shape. Plants can be propagated by cuttings or division.