Scaevola depauperata

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Scaevola depauperata, commonly known as skeleton fan-flower, is a small flowering plant in the Goodeniaceae family. It is a shrub up to about 1 metre tall with several stems and blue, mauve, or cream-white flowers that often have darker lines. The plant grows on sand dunes and sandy soils in mallee regions.

Description
- Growth: upright, many-branched perennial up to 1 m high.
- Leaves: basal leaves are sessile, ovate to spoon-shaped, toothed; older leaves become more triangular.
- Flowers: corolla is cream, blue, or mauve; petals are 2–30 mm long, with a bearded inner surface and short wings.
- Other features: peduncle up to 6 cm long; sepals 1–4 mm long; bracteoles 2–4 mm long; fruit is ellipsoid, 5–6 mm long.
- Flowering: April to December.

Taxonomy and naming
- Scaevola depauperata was first described in 1849 by Robert Brown, based on a report by Charles Sturt.
- The name depauperata means “reduced.”
- Synonyms include Lobelia depauperata, Merkusia depauperata, and Scaevola patens.

Distribution and habitat
- Found in mainland Australia (South Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory, New South Wales, and Queensland).
- Grows on sand dunes and sandy soils in mallee environments.
- Not reported from Western Australia.

Gallery
- Photos show the plant’s habit and its flowers.