Verticordia huegelii

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Variegated featherflower
Verticordia huegelii (8693062198).jpg
Verticordia huegelii (Rowan).jpg
V. huegelii, painting by Ellis Rowan
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. Verticordia
Section: Verticordia sect. Pilocosta
Species:
V. huegelii
Binomial name
Verticordia huegelii
Varieties

V. huegelii Endl. var. huegelii
V. huegelii var. decumbens A.S. George
V. huegelii var. stylosa(Turcz.) A.S.George
V. huegelii var. tridensA.S.George

Contents

Verticordia huegelii, commonly known as variegated featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a sometimes an erect shrub, sometimes sprawling to almost prostrate. It has linear leaves and very feathery flowers in spring. The flowers are usually cream-coloured or white, becoming pinkish and reddish or maroon as the flowers age, giving a variegated appearance to the display.

Description

Verticordia huegelii is a shrub which grows to 0.9 m (3 ft) high but sometimes has a sprawling habit. Its leaves are linear to club-shaped, semi-circular in cross-section and 2–8 mm (0.08–0.3 in) long. [2]

The flowers are unscented and arranged in rounded groups near the ends of the branches, each flower on a stalk 4–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long, smooth and partly hairy. The sepals are cream-coloured to yellow or reddish, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and lack lobes but are deeply divided with spreading hairs, some of which are longer and more prominent than others. The petals are white, cream or yellow and turn reddish, more or less round and spreading, with a fringe of hairs around their edge and 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long. The style is straight, 5–5.5 mm (0.20–0.22 in) long, hairy around its upper part and has a prominent cap-like stigma on its tip. Flowering time is mostly from September to November, but varies to a degree depending on the variety. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia huegelii was first formally described by Stephan Endlicher in 1837 and the description was published in Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel from specimens collected by Charles von Hügel near the Swan River in 1833. [1] [3] The specific epithet (huegelii) commemorates Hugel, the collector of the type specimen. [2]

In his 1991 revision of the genus Verticordia , Alex George recognised four varieties:

In the same review, George placed this species in subgenus Verticordia, section Pilocosta along with V. brachypoda and V. multiflora . [8]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia grows in sand and clay, often with granite, laterite or sandstone and usually in association with other verticordia species. Distribution depends on subspecies but in general it occurs from Geraldton south to the Porongurup National Park and inland as far as Wongan Hills in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Conservation

Verticordia huegelii var. tridens is classified as "Priority Three" [12] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [14] The other three varieties are classified as "not threatened". [9] [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Chorilaena</i> Genus of flowering plants

Chorilaena quercifolia, commonly known as karri oak or chorilaena, is a species of bushy shrub that is endemic to the karri forests of south-west Western Australia. It is the sole species in the genus Chorilaena. It has papery, broadly egg-shaped leaves with lobed edges and variously-coloured flowers arranged in umbels of five, the sepals and petals hairy on the outside and the stamens protruding beyond the petals.

<i>Melaleuca huegelii</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca huegelii, commonly known as chenille honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west coastal areas of Western Australia. It has small, almost scale-like leaves and flower spikes sometimes more than 100 millimetres (4 in) long on the ends many of its branches.

<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.

<i>Darwinia citriodora</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia citriodora, commonly known as lemon-scented darwinia or lemon scented myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with oblong to lance-shaped leaves and red, yellow and orange flowers over an extended period. It is a hardy plant in well-drained soil, is often cultivated and used as a rootstock for less hardy species.

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

Verticordia pennigera, commonly known as native tea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a small erect or prostrate shrub with small leaves and lightly-scented spikes of pale pink to magenta-coloured flowers in spring.

<i>Acacia huegelii</i> Species of legume

Acacia huegelii is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to Western Australia.

<i>Verticordia huegelii <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> huegelii</i> Variety of flowering plant

Verticordia huegelii var. huegelii, commonly known as variegated featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an upright, slender or bushy shrub, with creamish-white flowers turning pink or reddish maroon as they age, giving the plant a variegated appearance. It is similar to Verticordia huegelii var. decumbens but is more upright than that variety and lacks a lignotuber.

<i>Verticordia huegelii <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> decumbens</i> Variety of flowering plant

Verticordia huegelii var. decumbens, commonly known as variegated featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an almost prostrate shrub, with creamish-lemon coloured flowers turning pink then red as they age, giving the plant a variegated appearance. It is similar to Verticordia huegelii var. huegelii but has a lignotuber and a lower growth habit.

Verticordia huegelii var. tridens, commonly known as variegated featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, open, sometimes straggly shrub with bright yellow flowers which age to red and then brown and differently-shaped staminodes from the other varieties of the species.

Hemiandra linearis, commonly known as speckled snakebush, is a species of prostrate to ascending shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

<i>Goodenia fasciculata</i> Species of plant

Goodenia fasciculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It an ascending shrub with bunched, narrow linear stem leaves and spikes of white flowers.

<i>Hibbertia huegelii</i> Species of flowering plant

Hibbertia huegelii is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading or prostrate shrub with hairy branchlets, linear leaves and yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf axils on the ends of shoots, with fifteen to twenty-five stamens in bundles around the four or five carpels.

<i>Hibbertia perfoliata</i> Species of flowering plant

Hibbertia perfoliata is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a weak, ascending or prostrate, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 40 cm (16 in). It flowers from September to December or from January to March and has yellow flowers. The species was first formally described in 1837 by Stephan Endlicher from an unpublished description by Charles von Hügel and Endlicher's description was published in his book Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel. The specific epithet (perfoliata) means "perfoliate".

<i>Kennedia carinata</i> Species of legume

Kennedia carinata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with trifoliate leaves and reddish-purple, pea-like flowers.

<i>Lechenaultia floribunda</i> Species of flowering plant

Lechenaultia floribunda, commonly known as free-flowering leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly-branched shrub or subshrub with crowded, narrow, fleshy leaves and compact groups of pale blue to pale mauve or creamy white flowers.

Lasiopetalum cordifolium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy stems, heart-shaped leaves and pink, cream-coloured or white flowers.

<i>Sphaerolobium alatum</i> Species of flowering plant

Sphaerolobium alatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a slender, leafless shrub with yellow and reddish-brown flowers from September to November.

Sphaerolobium fornicatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the far south-west of Western Australia. It is a leafless shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.1–1 m and has yellow or orange and red flowers from October to January.

<i>Sphaerolobium grandiflorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Sphaerolobium grandiflorum is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, slender, leafless shrub with red, yellow and orange flowers.

<i>Sphaerolobium linophyllum</i> Species of flowering plant

Sphaerolobium linophyllum is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to ascending shrub with a few narrowly linear leaves and red, yellow and orange flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia huegelii". APNI. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 252–259. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. Endlicher, Stephan (1837). Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in Sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus liber baro de Hugel. Vienna. p. 46. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  4. "Verticordia huegelii var. huegelii". APNI. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  5. "Verticordia huegelii var. decumbens". APNI. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  6. "Verticordia huegelii var. stylosa". APNI. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. "Verticordia huegelii var. tridens". APNI. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  8. George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  9. 1 2 "Verticordia huegelii var. huegelii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  10. 1 2 "Verticordia huegelii var. decumbens". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  11. 1 2 "Verticordia huegelii var. stylosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  12. 1 2 "Verticordia huegelii var. tridens". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  13. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. pp. 407–408. ISBN   0646402439.
  14. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 16 June 2016.