Mouse featherflower | |
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Verticordia fastigiata in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne | |
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. Micrantha |
Species: | V. fastigiata |
Binomial name | |
Verticordia fastigiata | |
Synonyms | |
Verticordia conferta Benth. [2] |
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 fastigiata is a low shrub which grows to a height of 20–40 cm (8–20 in) and a width of 10–60 cm (4–20 in) with a single, highly branched main stem. The leaves are club-shaped, almost circular in cross-section, 2–5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long and have a blunt end. [3]
The flowers are mouse-scented, arranged corymb-like groups with each flower on a stalk 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) long. They are lemon-yellow and red, golden-yellow and orange to bronze, or deep red. The floral cup is broadly top-shaped, about 0.8 mm (0.03 in) long, hairy and more or less smooth. The sepals are yellow to dark red, about 1.7 mm (0.07 in) long, with 4 lobes which have long-hairy ends. The petals are about 1 mm (0.04 in) long, broad egg-shaped with a finely toothed margin, shiny yellow to dark red. The style is 4.0–5.5 mm (0.16–0.22 in) long, straight or gently curved with a few short hairs. Flowering time is from January to July. [3]
Verticordia fastigiata was first formally described in 1852 by Russian botanist Nikolai Turczaninow based on plant material collected by James Drummond and the description was published in Bulletin de la Classe Physico-Mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg. [1] [4] The specific epithet (fastigiata) is derived from a Latin word meaning "having parallel, upright branches", [5] referring to the habit of this species. [3]
Verticordia conferta, a species described by botanist George Bentham in 1871 from specimens collected from poorly drained areas near East Mount Barren, has been placed in synonymy with this species. [2]
When Alex George reviewed the genus Verticordia in 1991, he placed this species in subgenus Verticordia, section Micrantha along with V. minutiflora and V. vicinella . [6]
This verticordia grows in sandy loam and clay over sandstone, sometimes in association with other species of verticordia, in low heath. [3] It occurs in southern areas of the state between Ongerup and Cape Riche in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee biogeographic regions. [7]
Verticordia fastigiata is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [7]
This verticordia is usually propagated from cuttings which usually strike easily but are slow to establish when planted out and may take several years to flower. It performs well in Western Australia and on the east coast when grown in light soils in a sunny location. Established plants are moderately frost-tolerant and resistant to pest attacks. [3]
Eucalyptus erythronema, commonly known as the red-flowered mallee, is a species of mallee or tree and is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, dark pink to red bark that is shed to reveal whitish bark, and has lance-shaped adult leaves, pendulous flower buds mostly arranged in groups of three, red or yellow flowers and conical fruit.
Darwinia leiostyla is an erect shrub in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It typically grows to a height of 0.3–1.5 m and has linear leaves up to about 10 mm (0.39 in) long crowded along the branches. Pendent, bell-shaped, flower-like inflorescences appear from May to January. These are clusters of small flowers surrounded by larger pink, red or white, petal-like bracts.
Cyathostemon is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. The genus was first described by Nikolai Turczaninow in 1852. Species include:
Melaleuca adnata, commonly known as sandhill honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tall shrub with papery bark and spikes of white flowers in spring and early summer.
Melaleuca cucullata is a large shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its species name alludes to the shape of the leaves which resemble miniature academics' hoods.
Melaleuca depauperata is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has small, fleshy leaves and purple to pink flowers on short stalks along the branches.
Melaleuca lutea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. This species was previously known as Melaleuca citrina but was renamed to allow Callistemon citrinus to be moved to the genus Melaleuca. It is distinguished by its oval shaped, dense heads of yellow flowers and bushy foliage.
Melaleuca rigidifolia is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca plumea with its pink or purple flowers but is distinguished from that species by its lack of fluffy hairs on the flowers and its spherical clusters of fruits.
Calothamnus affinis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact, or spreading shrub with red to purple flowers in spring.
Eucalyptus calycogona, commonly known as the gooseberry mallee or square fruited mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to southern Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds that are square in cross-section arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils, creamy white, sometimes pink flowers, and fruit that are square in cross-section.
Verticordia multiflora is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, openly branched shrub with small leaves and groups of scented, bright yellow flowers on the ends of the branches in spring or early summer.
Verticordia oxylepis, commonly known as bonsai featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub, often with a layered appearance, small leaves and very small yellow and pink flowers.
Beaufortia puberula, commonly known as hairy-leaved beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub growing to a height of about 2 m (7 ft) with hairy young leaves and heads of hairy, pink or red flowers during most of the year.
Eucalyptus celastroides, commonly known by the Noongar name of mirret, is a species of eucalypt that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a mallee, rarely a tree, and has rough bark on about half of the lower half of its tunk, smooth above, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and urn-shaped fruit.
Conothamnus aureus is a member of the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a spindly, straggly shrub with rigid, blunt leaves and spherical heads of golden yellow flowers resembling those of wattles.
Leptospermum incanum is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy young stems, elongated egg-shaped leaves on a short petiole, relatively large white or pink flowers and fruit that fall from the plant when mature.
Leptospermum nitens is a species of slender shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has thin, fibrous bark, narrow egg-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves, white or pink flowers on short side branches and fruit with the sepals attached but that falls from the plant shortly after the seeds reach maturity.
Leptospermum oligandrum is a species of erect, spreading shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has broadly egg-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves, white flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to three on the ends of short side branches and fruit that fall from the plant shortly after the seeds are released.
Thryptomene cuspidata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a dense erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.6–2.2 m and blooms between July and November producing white or pink flowers.
Baeckea leptophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is native to Western Australia.