Verticordia bifimbriata

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Verticordia bifimbriata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Verticordia
Subgenus: Verticordia subg. Eperephes
Section: Verticordia sect. Verticordella
Species:
V. bifimbriata
Binomial name
Verticordia bifimbriata

Verticordia bifimbriata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open shrub with small leaves and spikes of pink flowers.

Contents

Description

Verticordia bifimbriata is an open branched shrub with a single stem at its base and which grows to a height of 30–90 cm (10–40 in) and a width of 15–40 cm (6–20 in). The leaves are thick, narrow elliptic in shape, concave, 1.5–4 mm (0.06–0.2 in) long and irregularly toothed along their margins. [2]

The flowers are scented and arranged in spikes near the ends of the branches, each flower on a stalk 2.0–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, 2.0–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long, has 5 rounded ribs and a mostly smooth surface. The sepals are pink, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, with 6 to 9 lobes with thread-like fringes and prominent fringed appendages. The petals are pink, 5.5–6.5 mm (0.22–0.26 in) with a fringe of branching threads. The style is curved, about 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, and has a beard of hairs 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long. Flowering time is from late November to May. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia bifimbriata was first formally described by Alex George in 1991 and the description was published in Nuytsia from specimens collected near Wannamal. [1] [3] The specific epithet (bifimbriata) is derived from the Latin prefix bi- meaning "twice-over" [4] and the word fimbriatus meaning "fringed with hairs" [5] referring to the thread-like fringing hairs on the petals themselves having a fringe. [2]

George placed this species in subgenus Eperephes, section Verticordella along with V. pennigera , V. halophila , V. blepharophylla , V. lindleyi , V. carinata , V. drummondii , V. wonganensis , V. paludosa , V. luteola , V. attenuata , V. tumida , V. mitodes , V. centipeda , V. auriculata , V. pholidophylla , V. spicata and V. hughanii . [3]

Distribution and habitat

V. bifimbriata grows in sand, often over a substrate of laterite, sometimes in areas near granite that are wet in winter, in heath, shrubland or Eucalyptus woodland. It is found in areas between Mogumber, New Norcia, Bindoon and the Dryandra Woodland, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. [6]

Conservation

Verticordia bifimbriata is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]

Use in horticulture

In cultivation V. bifimbriata is a slender to bushy shrub with delicately perfumed flowers, making it an attractive garden plant. It is usually propagated from seed and the plants have flowered within 18 months of germinating. Sometimes slow to establish at first, they often then grow vigorously. It will grow in well-drained soil in Sydney with its wet summers and is tolerant of light frosts. [2]

Related Research Articles

Verticordia albida is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with one main stem with many branches and spike-like groups of scented, white feathery flowers with a pink centre.

Verticordia argentea is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with almost circular leaves and scented, pink and white flowers. It usually grows in sand and is found near Eneabba.

Verticordia attenuata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with a single main stem, small leaves and pink to purple flowers which fade to white as they age. It usually grows in sand in areas that are wet in winter, often amongst grasses and is found in coastal areas near Bunbury.

Verticordia auriculata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, multi-branched shrub with small leaves and spikes of pink to magenta-coloured flowers in late spring to early summer and it is widespread in the wheatbelt.

<i>Verticordia blepharophylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia blepharophylla is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with a single main stem, leaves with hairy margins and pale to deep mauve-pink flowers and which occurs in an area between Perth and Geraldton.

Verticordia brevifolia is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with shortly cylindrical leaves and bright yellow flowers which turn red as they age. There are two subspecies, both of which have limited distributions and a priority conservation rating.

Verticordia carinata, commonly known as pea-shaped featherflower or Stirling Range featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with small, well-spaced leaves and pink and red flowers. It is a rarely seen plant, not known between its description in 1849 and its rediscovery in 1990.

<i>Verticordia halophila</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia halophila, commonly known as salt-loving featherflower, or salt-loving verticordia, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with small, crowded, thick leaves and spikes of red and pink flowers in spring.

<i>Verticordia fastigiata</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia fastigiata, commonly known as mouse featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate or low shrub with small, club-shaped leaves and mouse-scented flowers which vary in colour from golden-yellow and orange to dark red.

Verticordia centipeda is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with a single stem at the base, small crowded leaves and greenish-pink flowers with a silvery fringe, in spike-like groups on the ends of the branches. It is common in areas around Geraldton.

<i>Verticordia chrysantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia chrysantha, commonly known as yellow featherflower or yellow Morrison, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, slow-growing, rather bushy shrub with bright yellow flowers which often turn reddish-brown as they age. It is widespread in the south-west of the state.

<i>Verticordia chrysostachys</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia chrysostachys is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open-branched shrub with egg-shaped to almost circular leaves, and spike-like groups of cream-coloured or deep yellow flowers.

Verticordia comosa is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly branched shrub with small, broad, almost round leaves and spikes of flowers that are pale yellow, sometimes with a white or pale pink centre.

Verticordia coronata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with leaves whose shape depends on their position on the plant, and groups of yellow flowers near the ends of the branches.

<i>Verticordia lindleyi</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia lindleyi is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is sometimes an openly branched shrub, other times more or less dense, with small leaves and spreading, spike-like groups of pink or purple flowers along the stems in summer, sometimes also in autumn.

Verticordia mitodes is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with a single, highly-branched main stem, small leaves and small spikes of magenta-coloured flowers in late spring.

Verticordia paludosa is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly branched shrub with small leaves and pink to magenta flowers with spreading, feathery sepals and erect, fringed petals in summer and autumn.

Verticordia setacea is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small leaves and deep pink flowers with short styles in late spring.

<i>Verticordia tumida</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia tumida, commonly known as summer featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the north-west of Western Australia. It is an open shrub with very small leaves and clusters of deep pink flowers from late spring to early winter.

Verticordia wonganensis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub which grows near Wongan Hills and has a single main stem, small leaves and spike-like groups of large, pink, feathery flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia bifimbriata". APNI. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 340–341. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. 1 2 George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  4. Moore, Bruce, ed. (2002). The Australian Oxford Dictionary (1999 ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press. p. 129. ISBN   0195507932.
  5. Moore, Bruce, ed. (2002). The Australian Oxford Dictionary (1999 ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press. p. 483. ISBN   0195507932.
  6. 1 2 "Verticordia bifimbriata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.