Verticordia mirabilis
Verticordia mirabilis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Gibson Desert. It is a bushy, spreading shrub with its leaves mostly crowded on short side branches and with large, deep red flowers in small groups in spring.
| Verticordia mirabilis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Verticordia |
| Subgenus: | Verticordia subg. Eperephes |
| Section: | Verticordia sect. Integripetala |
| Species: | V. mirabilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Verticordia mirabilis | |
Description
Verticordia mirabilis is a bushy shrub which grows to a height of 30–60 cm (10–20 in) and about 60 cm (20 in) wide but sometimes grows as high as 1 m (3 ft). Its leaves are crowded on short side-branches, linear in shape, triangular or almost circular in cross-section, 3–6.5 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long and have small, irregular teeth near the tips.[2]
The flowers are arranged singly or in small groups near the ends of the branches, each flower 20–23 mm (0.8–0.9 in) in diameter on a thick stalk 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long glabrous with 5 ribs and 5 large swellings near the top. The sepals are pale pink, 10–11 mm (0.39–0.43 in) long 16 mm (0.6 in) wide and have 6 to 8 hairy lobes. The sepals also have two hairy, ear-like appendages which bend over the hypanthium. The petals are spreading, dark red, egg-shaped, sometimes have a few irregular teeth and are 8–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The style is 16–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in) long with a few hairs near the tip. Flowering time is mainly during September and October.[2]
Taxonomy and naming
Verticordia mirabilis was first formally described by Elizabeth and Alex George in 2001 from specimen collected near Warburton and the description was published in Nuytsia.[1][3] The specific epithet (mirabilis) is derived from a Latin word meaning "wonderful" or "strange"[4] referring to "the wonder and astonishment of discovering a species of Verticordia so far beyond the previously known occurrence of the genus, in a desert habitat."[2]
This species was placed in subgenus Eperephes, section Integripetala along with helmsii, V. rennieana, V. interioris, and V. picta.[3]
Distribution and habitat
This verticordia is only found in lateritic soil on a rocky breakaway south of Warburton, growing with Verticordia jamiesonii[2] in the Gibson Desert biogeographic region.[5]
Conservation
Verticordia mirabilis is classified as "Priority One" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife[5] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.[6]
Use in horticulture
This recently discovered species has been propagated from cuttings and grown in pots to flowering stage but its horticultural requirements are not yet well understood.[2]
References
- "Verticordia mirabilis". APNI. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 304–306. ISBN 1-876268-46-8.
- George, Elizabeth A.; George, Alex S. (2001). "Verticordia mirabilis (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae), a striking new species from the Gibson Desert, Western Australia". Nuytsia. 13 (3): 465–469.
- Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 527.
- "Verticordia mirabilis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
- "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 30 June 2016.