Verticordia penicillaris

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Verticordia penicillaris
Verticordia penicillaris.jpg
In Howatharra Nature Reserve near Geraldton, Western Australia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Verticordia
Subgenus: Verticordia subg. Verticordia
Section: Verticordia sect. Penicillaris
Species:
V. penicillaris
Binomial name
Verticordia penicillaris

Verticordia penicillaris is a species of 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.

Contents

Description

Verticordia penicillaris is a spreading shrub which grows to a height of 15–40 cm (6–20 in) and up to 2 m (7 ft) wide, sometimes with its lowest branches taking root in the soil. Its leaves are narrow egg-shaped, dished on the upper surface, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and have a blunt end. [2]

The flowers are arranged in corymb-like groups on the ends of the branches, each flower on a stalk 6–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long with an animal odour. The floral cup is top-shaped, 2 mm (0.08 in) long and is hairy near its base. The sepals are pale yellow, 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long with about 5 hairy white lobes. The petals are spreading, yellow, egg-shaped, 3.0–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long with a hairy edge. The style is 15–19 mm (0.6–0.7 in) long and straight or slightly curved and has purple hairs near the tip. Flowering time is mainly from September to October. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia penicillaris was first formally described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1859 from a specimen collected by Augustus Oldfield and the description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae . [1] [3] The specific epithet (penicillaris) is a Latin word meaning "of a little tail" or "of a painter's brush" [4] referring to the brush-like tip of the styles. [2]

In his review of the genus in 1991, Alex George placed this species in subgenus Verticordia, section Penicillaris along with V. dasystylis . [5]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia is found between the Kalbarri National Park, the Arrowsmith River and Mullewa where it usually grows in shallow, gritty soil in areas that are wet in winter [2] in the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions. [6] [7]

Conservation

Verticordia penicillaris is classified as "Priority Four" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife, [6] meaning that is rare or near threatened. [8]

Use in horticulture

This verticordia is usually propagated from cuttings and grows well in gravelly or sandy soils. Once established it is both frost and drought tolerant and has grown in the summer rainfall areas of eastern Australia. [2]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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<i>Beaufortia puberula</i> Species of flowering plant

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Thryptomene elliottii is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to southern central Australia. It is a shrub with decussate, egg-shaped to club-shaped leaves and pink or white flowers with five petals and five stamens.

<i>Kunzea opposita</i> Species of shrub

Kunzea opposita is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spindly shrub which has small leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and pink flowers with five petals and many stamens, the stamens much longer than the petals. It usually grows in woodland or on exposed cliffs.

<i>Leucopogon plumuliflorus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon plumuliflorus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a weakly erect shrub with egg-shaped leaves and spikes of white or pinkish-white, tube-shaped flowers.

<i>Pultenaea elachista</i> Species of flowering plant

Pultenaea elachista is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with hairy foliage, oblong to egg-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, and yellow flowers with red or orange markings.

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

Hibbertia spicata is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to the west of Western Australia. It is a low, erect to spreading shrub with scattered linear leaves with the edges rolled under and yellow flowers with six or seven stamens on one side of two softly-hairy carpels, and a larger number of staminodes.

<i>Olearia exiguifolia</i> Species of Asteraceae

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References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia penicillaris". APNI. Retrieved 13 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. 250–251. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1859). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. Melbourne. p. 226. Retrieved 13 July 2016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 596.
  5. George, A.S. (1991) New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Nuytsia 7(3): 254
  6. 1 2 "Verticordia penicillaris". 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. 409. ISBN   0646402439.
  8. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 13 July 2016.