Verticordia hughanii

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Hughan's featherflower
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. hughanii
Binomial name
Verticordia hughanii

Verticordia hughanii, commonly known as Hughan's featherflower, [2] 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 spreading, oblong leaves and spike-like groups of bright red flowers near the ends of the branches. It is a rare plant, only known from three small populations and currently meets the requirements of the World Conservation Union (IUCN 2000) Red List Category "Endangered".

Contents

Description

Verticordia hughanii is a shrub which grows to 15–30 cm (6–10 in) high and 30–75 cm (10–30 in) wide and may be openly or densely branched. Its leaves are elliptic to narrow egg-shaped, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long with a rounded end. When the plant is stressed by cold or very hot weather, the colour of the leaves changed to almost purple. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are unscented and arranged in spike-like groups on the ends of the branches, each flower on a stalk 2–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. The floral cup is broadly top-shaped, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long, glabrous, slightly warty and has thick green appendages about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long. The sepals are bright red, spreading, 3.5–4 mm (0.14–0.16 in) long, with 5 or 6 long, hairy lobes. The petals are bright red, erect, 2.5–3 mm (0.098–0.12 in) long, egg-shaped with a few short teeth on the end. The style is straight or slightly curved, 12–14 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long with a few short hairs near its tip. Flowering time is from November to February. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia hughanii was first formally described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1878 and the description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae from specimens collected by Allan Hughan. [1] [5] The specific epithet (hughanii) honours Hughan, a grazier and plant collector from Swan Hill [6] who collected the type of this species and four other verticordias. [2]

When Alex George reviewed the genus in 1991, he placed this species in subgenus Eperephes, section Verticordella along with V. pennigera , V. halophila , V. blepharophylla , V. lindleyi , V. carinata , V. attenuata , V. drummondii , V. wonganensis , V. paludosa , V. luteola , V. bifimbriata , V. tumida , V. mitodes , V. centipeda , V. auriculata , V. pholidophylla and V. spicata . [7]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia grows in sand with gypsum on saline flats and sandy loam in heath and shrubland. It is only known from three populations with a total of 20 mature plants (as at October 2015) [4] between Dowerin and Goomalling in the Avon Wheatbelt biogeographic region. [8] [9]

Conservation

Verticordia hughanii is classified as "Threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [8] meaning that it is likely to become extinct or is rare, or otherwise in need of special protection. [10] It is also classed as "Endangered" (EN) under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), meets the requirements of the World Conservation Union (IUCN 2000) Red List Category "Endangered" [3] and an interim recovery plan has been prepared. [4] The main threats to the known populations are lack of recruitment (most of the plant are old and new plants are rarely seen), grazing by rabbits, weed invasion (especially wild oats Avena fatua ), increase in salinisation of groundwater and inappropriate fire regimes. The current owners of the land with the largest population are "enthusiastic" about conservation of this species but future changes in land ownership are also a potential threat. [3]

Use in horticulture

This verticordia has been described as "startingly beautiful" when in flower from November to March or April in cultivation. It strikes readily from cuttings and thrives in well-drained soils in both winter- and summer-rainfall areas. Unfortunately it has not been possible to date to establish saleable plant in pots for general horticulture. [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.

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

Verticordia apecta, commonly known as scruffy verticordia or Hay River 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 linear lower stem leaves, narrow elliptic upper stem leaves and elliptic to egg-shaped leaves near the flowers. There are only a few flowers in the upper leaf axils on relatively long stalks and the sepals are deep pink with fine, white fringes.

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.

Verticordia crebra, commonly known as Barrens featherflower, crowded featherflower or Twertup featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with crowded, cylinder-shaped leaves with small, yellow flowers that are almost hidden by the leaves but with a style which extends well beyond the petals. The plant looks superficially like a miniature pine tree.

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.

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.

<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 pritzelii</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia pritzelii, commonly known as Pritzel's featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact, woody shrub with several main stems, small, linear to club-shaped leaves, and rounded groups of deep pink flowers from late spring to mid-summer.

<i>Calothamnus chrysanthereus</i> Species of flowering plant

Calothamnus chrysanthereus , commonly known as claw flower is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with needle-shaped leaves crowded on the ends of the branches and bright red flowers in spring.

Verticordia densiflora var. pedunculata, commonly known as long-stalked 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 and mauve-pink flowers which fade to white. It is one of five varieties of the species Verticordia densiflora and is distinguished from the others by its much longer flower stalks.

<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.

Verticordia lepidophylla is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a bushy shrub with small leaves and spikes of creamish-green to yellow flowers in spikes along the branches in late spring to early summer.

<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 minutiflora is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy shrub with small, crowded, cylindrical leaves and groups of white to pale pink flowers in summer and autumn. As suggested by its botanical name, it has the smallest flowers of any verticordia.

<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 penicillaris</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia penicillaris is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, widely spreading shrub, usually with several main branches. It is readily distinguished from other verticordias by its yellow flowers with white fringes and purple hairs on the end of their long styles.

Verticordia pholidophylla 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 branch at the base and many side branches with overlapping yellowish leaves and greenish-white to cream, cup-shaped, feathery flowers.

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.

Verticordia stenopetala is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low shrub with small leaves and heads of pink to magenta-coloured flowers in late spring and early summer.

References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia hughanii". APNI. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 358–359. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Patten, Julie; Brunt, Kate; Luu, Robyn. "Hughan's Featherflower (Verticordia hughanii) Interim Recovery Plan" (PDF). Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Conservation Advice Verticordia hughanii" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  5. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1878). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae (Volume 11). Melbourne: Government Printer. p. 10. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  6. "Australian Plant Collectors and Illustrators (H)". Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  7. George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  8. 1 2 "Verticordia hughanii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  9. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 408. ISBN   0646402439.
  10. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 19 June 2016.