Verticordia verticordina

Verticordia verticordina is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area near the coast of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, low-growing shrub with crowded leaves and in spring, scattered pale greenish-cream and golden brown flowers. Its unusual flowers and fleshy leaves give the plant a superficial resemblance to a Darwinia.

Verticordia verticordina

Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Verticordia
Subgenus: Verticordia subg. Verticordia
Section: Verticordia sect. Elachoschista
Species:
V. verticordina
Binomial name
Verticordia verticordina

Description

Verticordia verticordina is a shrub with many main stems and which grows to a height of 10–20 cm (4–8 in) and a width of 10–30 cm (4–10 in). The leaves are linear in shape, semi-circular in cross-section, 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and crowded near the ends of the branches.[2]

The flowers appear in scattered upper leaf axils on thick, erect stalks 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. The floral cup is shaped like a hemisphere, about 1 mm (0.04 in) long and hairy, especially near the base. The sepals are cream-coloured, turning brown as they age, elliptic, 3.5 mm (0.1 in) long, erect, with a ragged, papery, slightly hairy edge. The petals are also cream-coloured but with a dark, brownish band in the centre, egg-shaped, pointed, erect and 3 mm (0.1 in) long. The staminodes are pointed, longer than the stamens, and are a golden-brown colour. The style is about 15 mm (0.6 in) long and gently curved with a few hairs near the tip. The fleshy appearance of the leaves, almost entire margin of the sepals and the long style, distinguish this plant from other species of Verticordia and give it a superficial resemblance to Darwinia. Flowering time is from September to December.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Veticordia verticordina was first formally described in 1864 by Ferdinand von Mueller, who gave it the name Chamelaucium verticordina. The description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae and the type specimen was collected by George Maxwell in what is now the Cape Le Grand National Park.[4][5] The specific epithet (verticordina) referred to its similarity to a Verticordia.[2] In 1865, George Bentham changed the name to Darwinia verticordina.[6][7] When Alex George reviewed the genus Verticordia in 1991, he included this species, conserving the specific epithet ("like a verticordia").[1][8]

George placed this species in Verticordia subg. Verticordia as the sole member of section Elachoschista.[8]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia occurs near the south coast of Western Australia between Esperance and Israelite Bay in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions where it grows near coastal granite outcrops in wet and sandy clay. It is sometimes found growing in heath with Verticordia plumosa var. grandiflora.[2][3][9][10]

Conservation

Verticordia verticordina is classified as "Priority Three"[9] by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife, meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[11]

Use in horticulture

Although not having the horticultural potential of other verticordias, V. verticordina is relatively easy to propagate from cuttings and can be grown in pots or hanging baskets but does not flower prolifically.[2]

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References
  1. "Verticordia verticordina". APNI. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  2. Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 242–243. ISBN 1-876268-46-8.
  3. Archer, William. "Verticordia verticordina". Esperance Wildflowers. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  4. "Chamelaucium verticordina". APNI. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  5. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1864). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. Melbourne. p. 57. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  6. "Darwinia verticordina". APNI. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  7. Bentham, George (1867). "Notes on the genera Darwinia and Bartlingia". Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany. 9: 176. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  8. George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  9. "Verticordia verticordian". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  10. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 411. ISBN 0646402439.
  11. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
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