Verticordia jamiesonii

Last updated

Verticordia jamiesonii
Status DECF P3.svg
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
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. Jamiesoniana
Species:
V. jamiesonii
Binomial name
Verticordia jamiesonii

Verticordia jamiesonii is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is small shrub with short leaves crowded on young branchlets and white to pale pink flowers in small groups on the ends of branches in early spring.

Contents

Description

Verticordia jamiesonii is an open shrub which grows to 20–60 cm (8–20 in) high and 20–40 cm (8–20 in) wide with its leaves crowded on the younger side-branches. Its leaves are oblong in shape, semi-circular in cross-section 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) long with their edges rather translucent and irregular. The leaves near the flowers are slightly larger than those further down the stems. [2] [3]

The flowers are lightly scented and are arranged in small, rounded groups on the ends of the branches on stalks 2.5–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The floral cup is hemispherical, 2.0–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long, glabrous and smooth. The sepals are cream coloured at first, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, turning pink as they age and have 6 to 9 hairy lobes. The petals are white, 3.5–4.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, erect, egg-shaped with a few hairs and a coarsely toothed edge. The style is straight, 2 mm (0.08 in) long, thick and hairy near its base. Flowering occurs from September to October. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia jamiesonii was first formally described in 1883 by Ferdinand von Mueller from specimens collected in 1882 by John Forrest, near the Gascoyne River. The description was published in "Southern Science Record". [1] [4]

The specific epithet (jamiesonii) honours James Jamieson, a lecturer in obstetric medicine at the University of Melbourne from 1879 to 1908. [2] [3]

When Alex George reviewed the genus in 1991, he placed this species in subgenus Eperephes, the only species in section Jamiesoniana. [5]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia grows in sand or clay on low lateritic breakaways and on rocky hills in open shrubland. It occurs as scattered populations, mostly on pastoral leases between the Gascoyne River and Yalgoo and in the Gibson Desert in the Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. [6] [7]

Conservation

Verticordia interioris is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [6] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [8]

Use in horticulture

The tiny leaves, shiny red new growth and feathery flowers of this verticordia have been described as "attractive" features and the plant has been cultivated since 1991. Propagation has usually been from cuttings and the plants have established in sand with gravel in full sun. They are relatively drought and frost hardy as well as resistant to the fungal disease that affect some other eremophilas. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Eremophila youngii</i> Species of tree

Eremophila youngii is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a dense, erect shrub with many of its parts covered with a layer of grey to yellowish-grey scales and with pink, purple or red flowers.

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.

Verticordia capillaris 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 leaves and creamy white or occasionally pink flowers in dense corymb-like groups. It is common in small areas near Geraldton.

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.

<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 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.

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.

Verticordia helmsii is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with most of its leaves clustered on short side branches and with small groups of scented creamish-white flowers in small groups along the branches.

Verticordia hughanii, commonly known as Hughan's 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 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 Red List Category "Endangered".

Verticordia interioris 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, linear leaves and rounded groups of pale to dark pink flowers in early spring.

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.

Verticordia luteola is a flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a more or less openly branched shrub with crowded leaves on its side branches and spikes of pale yellow or bright pink flowers which turn cream to brownish as they age. This verticordia is a summer-flowering species.

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.

Verticordia mirabilis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Gibson Desert. It is a bushy, spreading shrub with its leaves mostly crowded on short side branches and with large, deep red flowers in small groups in spring.

<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 polytricha, commonly known as northern cauliflower, 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 linear leaves and dense heads of white flowers in late spring and summer.

Verticordia rennieana 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, narrow, warty leaves and pink and silvery-white flowers in spring and summer.

References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia jamiesonii". APNI. Retrieved 24 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. 314–315. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. 1 2 3 Patrick, Susan J. "WesternAustralian Wildlife Management Program No. 26, Declared Rare and Poorly Known Flora in the Geraldton District" (PDF). Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  4. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1838). "Definitions of some new Australian plants". Southern Science Record. 3: 68. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  5. George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  6. 1 2 "Verticordia jamiesonii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  7. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 408. ISBN   0646402439.
  8. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 24 June 2016.