Verticordia oculata

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Verticordia oculata
Fleurs sauvages parc de Kirabati.JPG
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. oculata
Binomial name
Verticordia oculata

Verticordia oculata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a sprawling woody shrub with large, circular leaves with white edges and silver-white flowers with a dark centre of lilac and purple, the largest flowers of the genus Verticordia . The botanist Ferdinand von Mueller reportedly became entranced by its floral display when he visited the northern sandplains area in 1877, later describing the shrub as the 'princess of Australian flora'. [1]

Contents

Description

Verticordia oculata is a shrub which grows to a height of between 20 and 70 cm (0.7 and 2 ft) and sprawls to a width of 0.3–1.0 m (1–3 ft). It has a lignotuber, from which several or many main stems emerge. The leaves are almost circular in shape, 4–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) in diameter with a distinct white margin, lack a stalk and attach directly to the stem. [2] [3]

The flowers are 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) in diameter and are grouped in a spreading arrangement at the upper parts of the stem on stalks 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The sepals are 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) long and have 12-14 deeply divided, feather-like, silver-white lobes and are lilac to purple at the base. The petals are 7–8 mm (0.3–0.3 in) long, more or less circular in shape with 15 to 18 long, finger-like lobes and are lilac-pink to purple. The colouration of the flower parts contribute to its resemblance to an eye. Flowering occurs between October and December. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first formally described in 1856 by Carl Meissner, from a collection made by James Drummond in 1850 or 1851. [4] [5] The specific epithet (oculata) is derived from the Latin word oculus meaning "eye" [6] : 312  with the suffix -atis which converts a noun into an adjective, hence "eye-like", [6] : 312  referring to the eye-like dark colouration in the centre of the flower. [2]

This species and Verticordia etheliana are thought to have created a hybrid, which was discovered then lost to bushfire in the Kalbarri National Park. The collectors cloned material from their specimen and continue to propagate the natural hybrid, now known as Verticordia 'Wemms find'. [2]

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. muelleriana , V. argentea , V. albida , V. fragrans , V. venusta , V. forrestii , V. serotina , V. comosa , V. etheliana and V. grandis . [7]

Distribution and habitat

Verticordia oculata is found growing with several other species of the genus, in heaths and shrublands, on white, red, and yellow sand. It occurs on sandplains and ridges in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Geraldton Sandplains and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. It has a distribution range north of the Principality of Hutt River to a locality west of the Billabong Roadhouse. Specimens have been recorded near the coast and inland to Yuna. [2] [8]

Conservation

This verticordia is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]

Use in horticulture

This small shrub has been described as "spectacularly beautiful" and both it and the hybrid Verticordia 'Wemms find' have horticultural potential. Its branching habit, pale leaves and large flowers are especially attractive but it is not well known in cultivation outside Western Australia, where some examples have grown for more than 14 years. It can be propagated from cuttings but when grown on its own roots, tends to suffer from fungal attack, especially in humid areas such as Sydney. Established plants grown in Western Australia have shown to be frost resistant and have tolerated heavy summer rainfall. [2]

Related Research Articles

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 grandis</i> Species of shrub

Verticordia grandis is a large woody shrub that occurs in Southwest Australia. The name grandis, Latin for large, is a reference to its large flowers, leaves, and height. It is well known for its large flowers, which are collected and cultivated, and given the informal name of scarlet featherflower. It was the first species of the family Myrtaceae to have been genetically modified.

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.

Verticordia aereiflora is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a thin but bushy shrub with small leaves and greenish-yellow flowers with red spots and red fringes on the sepals.

Verticordia argentea is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with almost circular leaves and scented, pink and white flowers. It usually grows in sand and is found near Eneabba.

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

Verticordia blepharophylla is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with a single main stem, leaves with hairy margins and pale to deep mauve-pink flowers and which occurs in an area between Perth and Geraldton.

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 sect. Pennuligera is one of six sections in the subgenus Eperephes. It includes sixteen shrub species in the genus Verticordia. Plants in this section range from small and spreading to large shrubs and have been referred to as "lettuce-leaved" or "round-leaved". The flowers are relatively large, with their sepals having feathered lobes and ear-like appendages on a stalk so that the appendages cover the floral cup. The petals are oval to egg-shaped or round and are usually fringed.

<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 monadelpha</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia monadelpha is a flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a much-branched shrub with pink to magenta flowers in spring and early summer. It is commonly known as pink Morrison, woolly featherflower, pink woolly featherflower, white woolly featherflower or pink cauliflower.

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

Verticordia chrysostachys is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open-branched shrub with egg-shaped to almost circular leaves, and spike-like groups of cream-coloured or deep yellow flowers.

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.

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

Verticordia dichroma is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a much-branched shrub with rounded leaves and spikes of scented, deep red and golden-coloured flowers.

<i>Verticordia etheliana</i> Species of shrub

Verticordia etheliana 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 highly branched main stem, egg-shaped to almost round leaves and spike-like groups of bright red flowers with greenish-cream centres.

Verticordia etheliana var. etheliana 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 highly branched main stem, egg-shaped to almost round leaves and spike-like groups of bright red flowers with greenish-cream centres. It differs from V. etheliana var. formosa in having longer leaves, and larger flowers.

Verticordia etheliana var. formosa is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub similar to var. etheliana but with smaller leaves and flowers.

Verticordia fragrans, commonly known as hollyhock verticordia, 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 spikes of sweetly scented, pink and white flowers in spring and early summer.

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 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.

Verticordia × eurardyensis, commonly known as Eurardy magenta, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub similar to both Verticordia dichroma and Verticordia spicata which grow in the same area and is thought to be a stable hybrid between those two species. It has mostly egg-shaped leaves and spike-like groups of dark magenta-coloured flowers which fade to straw-coloured, in late spring and early summer.

References

  1. ↑ (Berndt) George, Elizabeth A.; Pieroni, Margaret (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts. Crawley, Western Australia; Canberra: University Of Western Australia Press. p. 9. ISBN   1876268468.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts. Crawley: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 396 Pl. 99. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. 1 2 Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 141. ISBN   9781877058844.
  4. ↑ "Verticordia oculata". APNI. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Meissner, Carl (1857). "On some new species of Chamaelaucieae". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London (Botany). 1: 41–42. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  7. ↑ George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  8. 1 2 "Verticordia oculata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
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