Verticordia pholidophylla

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Verticordia pholidophylla
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. pholidophylla
Binomial name
Verticordia pholidophylla

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.

Contents

Description

Verticordia pholidophylla is a many-branched shrub which grows to a height of 30–100 cm (10–40 in) and 40–90 cm (20–40 in) wide. Its leaves are scale-like, almost overlapping but more or less spreading, broad elliptic in shape, thick 1.5–2 mm (0.06–0.08 in) long and 1.0–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) wide. [2]

The flowers are arranged in short spike-like groups near the ends of the branches, each flower on a stalk about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, 2 mm (0.08 in) long, glabrous with small green appendages. The sepals are greenish-white to cream, sometimes pink, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long with 4 to 7 hairy lobes. The petals are the same colour as the sepals, erect, 4 mm (0.2 in) long with pointed lobes a further 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long. The style is 4 mm (0.2 in) long, bent and hairy near the tip. Flowering time is from September to November. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia pholidophylla 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 (pholidophylla) is derived from the Ancient Greek words pholis meaning "a scale" [4] :683 and phyllon meaning "a leaf", [4] :605 referring to the small, scale-like leaves of this species. [2]

In his review of the genus in 1991, Alex George 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. spicata and V. hughanii . [5]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia is found in and near the Kalbarri National Park where it grows in sand or clay, often in areas that are wet in winter [2] in the Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic region. [6] [7]

Ecology

A native bee, the blue-banded bee, Amegilla cingulata has been observed visiting flowers of this verticordia. [8]

Conservation

Verticordia pholidophylla is classified as "Not Threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]

Use in horticulture

This verticordia is usually propagated from cuttings but can also be grown from seed. When established in a garden, it flowers for longer than in the wild and tolerates drought and light frost. First flowering usually occurs after three years. [2] [9]

Related Research Articles

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>Lasiopetalum maxwellii</i> Species of shrub

Lasiopetalum maxwellii is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south coast Western Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with hairy young stems, lance-shaped to oblong leaves and white to cream-coloured flowers.

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

Calothamnus pinifolius, commonly known as dense clawflower, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with dense foliage and clusters of red flowers, partly immersed in the prickly foliage, between July and January.

<i>Prostanthera walteri</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera walteri, commonly known as blotchy mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with tangled, hairy branches, egg-shaped leaves and usually bluish green flowers with prominent purple veins arranged singly in leaf axils.

Verticordia centipeda 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 crowded leaves and greenish-pink flowers with a silvery fringe, in spike-like groups on the ends of the branches. It is common in areas around Geraldton.

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 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 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 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 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>Quoya oldfieldii</i> Species of flowering plant

Quoya oldfieldii, commonly known as Oldfield's foxglove, is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with its branches and leaves densely covered with a layer of brownish hairs. The leaves are egg-shaped and the tube-shaped flowers are pink with purple spots inside.

<i>Pityrodia loricata</i> Species of plant

Pityrodia loricata is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a dense, greyish, multi-stemmed shrub with whorled leaves, prominent sepals and pale, pinkish-white flowers. It is common in Western Australia and the Northern Territory and there is a single record from South Australia.

<i>Pityrodia chrysocalyx</i> Species of flowering plant

Pityrodia chrysocalyx is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with small, glossy leaves, and flowers with white petals and a golden-yellow calyx.

<i>Pityrodia hemigenioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Pityrodia hemigenioides is a flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with densely hairy branches and leaves, and pale white flowers near the ends of the branches.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Verticordia pholidophylla". APNI. Retrieved 14 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. 352–353. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  3. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1859). Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. Melbourne. p. 227. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  5. George, A.S. (1991) New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Nuytsia 7(3): 254
  6. 1 2 "Verticordia pholidophylla". 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. Groom, Philip K.; Lamont, Byron B. (2014). Plant Life of Southwestern Australia Adaptations for Survival. Berlin: De Gruyter. p. 133. ISBN   9783110370164.
  9. Fairall, Arthur (1970). West Australian Native Plants in Cultivation. Rushcutters Bay, N.S.W.: Pergamon Press. p. 235.