Verticordia fimbrilepis subsp. australis

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Verticordia fimbrilepis subsp. australis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Verticordia
Species:
Subspecies:
V. f. subsp. australis
Trinomial name
Verticordia fimbrilepis subsp. australis

Verticordia fimbrilepis subsp. australis, commonly known as southern shy featherflower is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender shrub with one openly branched main stem at its base, small, pointed leaves and rounded groups of pink flowers near the ends of the branches.

Contents

Description

Verticordia fimbrilepis subsp. australis is a slender shrub which grows to a height of about 40 cm (20 in) and which has one openly branched stem at its base. The leaves lower on the stems are linear in shape, almost round in cross-section, 2–5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long with a rounded end with a sharp point. Those near the flowers are more oblong to narrow egg-shaped. [2]

The flowers are arranged in open groups on stalks 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long near the ends of the branches. The floral cup is broadly top-shaped, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long, glabrous but slightly rough. The sepals are bright mauve-pink 3–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long, with 5 to 7 hairy lobes. The petals are the same colour as the sepals, sometimes with a white base and are about 2.5–3.0 mm (0.098–0.12 in) long, 1.0 mm (0.04 in) or less wide, egg-shaped with long, coarse hairs. The staminodes have a broad stalk and a hairy fringe, lacking the single long hair in their centre of subspecies fimbrilepis. The style is 0.2–0.4 mm (0.008–0.02 in) long, straight and glabrous. Flowering time is from October to December. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia fimbrilepis was first formally described by Nikolai Turczaninow in 1847 and the description was published in the Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou. In 1991, Alex George undertook a review of the genus Verticordia and described two subspecies of V. fimbrilepis including this one. The type collection was made near the Kent River by George, Elizabeth George and Tony Annels in 1985. [1] [3] The epithet australis is from the Latin australis (southern) and refers to the distribution of this subspecies relative to that of subspecies fimbrilepis. [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia grows in clay-loam on granitic slopes in heath. It is only known from small areas near Denmark and Albany in the Warren and Jarrah Forest biogeographic regions. [4] [5]

Conservation

This subspecies of Verticordia fimbrilepis is classified "Threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [4] meaning that it is likely to become extinct or is rare, or otherwise in need of special protection. [6] It is also classed as "Endangered" (VU) under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). [7]

Use in horticulture

This subspecies of V. fimbrilepis was first propagated from cuttings in 1991 and have been grown in raised beds and in pots since then. Although not spectacular in flower, the pink flowers are attractive. It does not appear to have been grown in eastern Australian states. [2]

Related Research Articles

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

Verticordia insignis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, irregularly-branched shrub with small leaves and heads of relatively large pink, or white and pink flowers on the ends of the branches in spring.

Verticordia forrestii, commonly known as Forrest's featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the north-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small, egg-shaped leaves and massed displays of scented pink to red flowers in spring.

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

Verticordia habrantha, commonly known as hidden featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender shrub with short, leafy side-branches and long flowering stems with rounded heads of mostly white flowers. Its hairy sepals are mostly hidden by the round, unfringed petals, and as a result, the plant looks like shrubs in the genus Chamelaucium, to which it is closely related.

<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.

Verticordia harveyi, commonly known as autumn featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, spindly shrub with relatively long leaves and small white, pink or magenta-coloured flowers in late summer and autumn.

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

Verticordia helichrysantha, commonly known as coast featherflower or Barrens featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, woody, open-branched shrub with crowded, linear leaves and small yellow flowers from May to September.

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

Verticordia spicata, commonly known as spiked featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a dense, bushy shrub with small leaves pressed against the stem and spikes of pink flowers from late spring to early summer.

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

Verticordia picta, commonly known as painted featherflower or china cups, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small to medium sized shrub with pink and cupped flowers that are sweetly scented.

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 dasystylis 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 many stems at its base, oblong leaves and scented, fluffy, yellow and white flowers. There are three subspecies, each of which has a priority conservation status.

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

Verticordia densiflora, commonly known as compacted featherflower, 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, usually small pink and white flowers and which is widespread in the south-west of the state. It is a variable species and in his 1991 paper, Alex George formally described five varieties.

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

Verticordia fimbrilepis, commonly known as shy featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, bushy shrub with one openly branched main stem at its base, small, pointed leaves and rounded groups of pink flowers near the ends of the branches.

<i>Verticordia fimbrilepis <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> fimbrilepis</i> Subspecies of flowering plant

Verticordia fimbrilepis subsp. fimbrilepis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small bushy shrub with one openly branched main stem at its base, small, pointed leaves and rounded groups of pink 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.

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

Verticordia mitchelliana, commonly known as rapier featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with bright red, rapier-like flowers in spring and early summer, which readily distinguish it from other species. It is commonly grown in private gardens and some forms have larger flowers than those usually found in the wild.

Verticordia muelleriana 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 relatively large, egg-shaped to circular leaves and long spikes of deep maroon coloured flowers in spring and early summer.

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

Verticordia ovalifolia, commonly known as oval-leaved featherflower, 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 egg-shaped leaves and strap-like, feathery petals in spring.

Verticordia pityrhops, commonly known as East Mount Barren featherflower or pine-like featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a single-stemmed shrub which is densely-branched with crowded narrow linear leaves giving the impression of a miniature pine tree. When it flowers in autumn, the shrub is completely covered with masses of very small, honey-scented, pinkish-purple flowers.

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

Verticordia roei, commonly known as Roe's featherflower is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and is often covered with masses of creamy-white coloured flowers 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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia fimbrilepis australis" . Retrieved 7 June 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. 210–212. ISBN   978-1-876268-46-6.
  3. 1 2 George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  4. 1 2 "Verticordia fimbrilepis australis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  5. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 407. ISBN   978-0646402437.
  6. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  7. "Approved Conservation Advice for Verticordia fimbrilepis subsp. australis (Southern Shy Featherflower)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 7 June 2016.