Verticordia muelleriana

Last updated

Verticordia muelleriana
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. Pennuligera
Species:
V. muelleriana
Binomial name
Verticordia muelleriana

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.

Contents

Description

Verticordia muelleriana is a shrub which grows to a height of up to 2 m (7 ft) with a single main branch with a few side branches. Its leaves are egg-shaped to almost circular, 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long and have thin edges. [2]

The flowers are arranged in spikes along the branches, opening in sequence from the lowest flowers, each flower on a stalk about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, 3.5 mm (0.1 in) long, glabrous and slightly rough with green appendages about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The sepals are a deep maroon colour, spreading, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and have 8 or 9 feathery lobes and two large, hairy, ear-like appendages. The petals are a similar colour, erect, 5 mm (0.2 in) long, 3.5 mm (0.1 in) wide with a fringe a further 2 mm (0.08 in) and also have small, hairy, ear-like appendages. The style is 7 mm (0.3 in) long, curved, and densely hairy near the tip. Flowering time is from September to January. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia muelleriana was first formally described by Ernst Pritzel in 1904 from a specimen he collected between Watheroo and Coorow and the description was published in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. [1] [3] The specific epithet (muelleriana) honours Ferdinand von Mueller. [2]

The names of two subspecies are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

When Alex George reviewed the genus Verticordia in 1991, he placed this species in subgenus Eperephes, section Pennuligera along with V. chrysostachys , V. lepidophylla , V. aereiflora , V. dichroma , V. x eurardyensis , V. comosa , V. argentea , V. albida , V. fragrans , V. venusta , V. forrestii , V. serotina , V. oculata , V. etheliana and V. grandis . [4]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia grows in sand, sometimes with lateritic gravel, usually with other species of Verticordia in woodland and shrubland. It occurs between Coomberdale and Watheroo [2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains and Jarrah Forest biogeographic regions. [7] [8]

Conservation

Subspecies muelleriana is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [7] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [9] Subspecies minor is classified as "Priority Two" meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations. [8]

Use in horticulture

Both subspecies of this verticordia have been propagated from cuttings and by grafting onto Chamelaucium uncinatum rootstock but have been slow to establish in the garden. Those that have, proved to be hardy in sunny situations in a range of soil types. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Eremophila dichroantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila dichroantha, also known as bale-hook eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with many ascending branches making the plant appear broom-like. It has small, hooked leaves and small, though abundant, violet to lilac-coloured flowers.

<i>Eremophila caerulea</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila caerulea, commonly known as spotted eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, compact, spreading shrub with narrow, warty, cylindrical leaves and blue to purple flowers.

<i>Eremophila georgei</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila georgei is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a common, widespread shrub in central areas of the state, often growing on rocky ridges and hillsides and has serrated leaves and mauve, purple or pink flowers.

<i>Eremophila ionantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila ionantha is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with many sticky branches, narrow, light green leaves and blue, purple or violet flowers.

<i>Eremophila platythamnos</i> Species of plant

Eremophila platythamnos, commonly known as desert foxglove, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect shrub with short, broad leaves and purple, mauve, blue or pink 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.

<i>Boronia purdieana</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia purdieana is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves and yellow, four-petalled flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Cyanothamnus fabianoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Cyanothamnus fabianoides is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with many branches, simple, more or less cylindrical leaves and single white, pink or pale blue four-petalled flowers in the leaf axils.

<i>Philotheca deserti</i> Species of plant

Philotheca deserti is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrow spindle-shaped, glandular-warty leaves and white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Philotheca tomentella</i> Species of flowering plant

Philotheca tomentella is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an undershrub with small club-shaped to cylindrical leaves and white flowers with a pale red central stripe, arranged singly or in groups of up to four on the ends of branchlets.

Goodenia eremophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Western Australia. It is an ascending herb with linear to elliptic leaves and thyrses of blue flowers.

Goodenia nuda is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is an erect to ascending herb with elliptic to lance-shaped leaves at the base of the plant, and racemes of yellow flowers.

Pultenaea arida is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a low, spindly, spreading shrub with small, flat, hairy leaves and yellow, red or orange flowers.

<i>Bossiaea leptacantha</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea leptacantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to southern Western Australia. It is a low, compact, spreading, many-branched shrub, the branches ending in cladodes, the leaves reduced to small scales, and with deep yellow, red and greenish yellow flowers.

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

Hibbertia silvestris is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to more or less erect or spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and yellow flowers with seven to ten stamens on one side of two softly-hairy carpels.

<i>Daviesia decipiens</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia decipiens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an intricately-branched shrub with scattered, sharply-pointed oblong or tapering phyllodes, and orange, maroon and crimson flowers.

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

Lechenaultia juncea, commonly known as reed-like leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, perennial herb or shrub with crowded, fleshy leaves, and pale blue flowers.

<i>Lechenaultia stenosepala</i> Species of shrub

Lechenaultia stenosepala, commonly known as narrow-sepaled leschenaultia,is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, more or less erect perennial herb or shrub with crowded, narrow leaves, and blue to pale blue or creamy-white flowers.

Lasiopetalum microcardium is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading or straggling shrub with hairy stems, heart-shaped leaves and blue, purple or white flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia muelleriana". APNI. Retrieved 5 July 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. 380–383. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. Pritzel, Ernst (1904). "Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae occidentalis. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pflanzen Westaustraliens, ihrer Verbreitung und ihrer Lebensverhaltnisse". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. 35 (2): 407. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  5. "Verticordia muelleriana subsp. minor". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  6. "Verticordia muelleriana subsp. muelleriana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Verticordia muelleriana muelleriana". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  8. 1 2 "Verticordia muelleriana minor". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  9. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 30 June 2016.