Verticordia subulata

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Verticordia subulata
Verticordia subulata.jpg
Verticordia subulata in the Stirling Range National Park
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. Chrysoma
Section: Verticordia sect. Chrysoma
Species:
V. subulata
Binomial name
Verticordia subulata

Verticordia subulata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody shrub with pointed, linear leaves and in spring, heads of yellow flowers which turn red as they age.

Contents

Description

Verticordia subulata is a shrub which grows to a height of 10–70 cm (4–30 in) and a width of 5–40 cm (2–20 in). There is usually a single branch at the base and no lignotuber. The leaves are linear in shape, pointed, 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long whilst those near the flowers are shorter. [1]

The flowers are lightly scented and are arranged in corymb-like groups on erect stalks from 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long, ribbed, slightly wary and glabrous. The sepals are yellow, turning deep red with age, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long, with 8 to 10 densely hairy lobes. The petals are a similar colour to the sepals, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and have long, pointed, finger-like projections. The style is 0.5–1 mm (0.02–0.04 in) long, straight and glabrous. Flowering time is from September to October. [1]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia subulata was first formally described by Alex George in 1991 from specimens collected from the Stirling Range National Park by Alex and Elizabeth George. The description was published in Nuytsia . [2] [3] The specific epithet (subulata) is derived from the Latin word subula meaning "an awl" [4] referring to the shape of the staminodes.

George placed this species in subgenus Chrysoma, section Chrysoma along with V. citrella , V. endlicheriana and V. acerosa . [3]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia occurs in the area between the Beaufort River, Kalgan, Lake King and the Stirling Range National Park, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee biogeographic regions. [5] [6] It grows in clay and sand, sometimes over laterite soils, on flats and rises in heath, shrubland and open woodland. [1]

Conservation

Verticordia subulata is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [5]

Use in horticulture

This ornamental shrub can be propagated from cuttings, provided they are taken from late in spring. It is slow growing and needs to be in well-drained soil in a sunny position to avoid fungal attack. [1]

Related Research Articles

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

Verticordia acerosa is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with yellow flowers which change colour through red to almost black as they age. There are two varieties which vary in their leaf shape, their flower colour and some of the structures in the flower.

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

Verticordia citrella is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, densely-branched shrub with cylinder shaped stem leaves that differ from those near the flowers, and small yellow flowers in groups near the ends of the branches.

Verticordia amphigia commonly known as pixie ears is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually an open, much-branched shrub with narrow leaves and yellow flowers which sometimes produce a "sea" of colour in the wild. The flowers are surrounded by boat-shaped bracteoles which give the plant both its common and scientific names.

Verticordia aurea, commonly known as buttercups is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, sometimes bushy shrub with a single stem at the base, cylindrical leaves and heads of scented, golden-yellow flowers in spring.

Verticordia brevifolia 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 shortly cylindrical leaves and bright yellow flowers which turn red as they age. There are two subspecies, both of which have limited distributions and a priority conservation rating.

Verticordia patens is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with linear, pointed leaves and faintly scented, pale yellow flowers in open heads on the ends of the branches. It is fairly common in a small area south of Badgingarra.

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

Verticordia venusta 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, egg-shaped leaves and spikes of pink to maroon-coloured flowers in spring and early summer.

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

Verticordia galeata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody shrub with thin, pointed cylinder-shaped leaves and heads of bright yellow flowers on the ends of the branches in spring.

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

Verticordia cooloomia, commonly known as Cooloomia verticordia, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, spreading shrub with large heads of sharply scented yellow flowers and is only known from areas in and near to the Cooloomia Nature Reserve, near the Murchison River.

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

Verticordia staminosa is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub comprising two subspecies, one of which has two varieties. All three types have a limited distribution and have been classified as "Threatened". It is distinguished from other species of verticordia by its prominent, long stamens which extend well beyond its feathery yellow sepals and petals.

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

Verticordia chrysantha, commonly known as yellow featherflower or yellow Morrison, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small, slow-growing, rather bushy shrub with bright yellow flowers which often turn reddish-brown as they age. It is widespread in the south-west of the state.

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

Verticordia chrysanthella, commonly known as little chrysantha, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with cylinder-shaped leaves and small groups of lemon-yellow to gold-coloured flowers which fade to orange, red or brown.

Verticordia coronata 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 leaves whose shape depends on their position on the plant, and groups of yellow flowers near the ends of the branches.

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

Verticordia endlicheriana is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and yellow flowers which in some varieties age to red. It is a variable species and in his 1991 paper, Alex George formally described five varieties.

Verticordia endlicheriana var. major is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, compact shrub with lightly-scented, lemon-yellow flowers which do not change colour as they age.

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

Verticordia grandiflora, commonly known as claw featherflower, clawed featherflower or horned featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, rigid shrub with many short side-branches, mostly linear leaves and heads of yellow flowers which soon age to reddish but which are among the largest in the genus. It is similar in appearance to several other species of verticordias with which it is often confused.

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

Verticordia laciniata 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 linear, slightly hairy leaves and heads of scented, bright yellow flowers which turn red then bronze-coloured as they age.

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 rutilastra</i> Species of plant

Verticordia rutilastra, commonly known as little grandiflora, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Southwest Australia, a biodiversity hotspot in Western Australia. It is a small shrub with short upper branches, narrow leaves and yellow, feathery flowers, often with a star-like red centre.

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

Verticordia serrata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spindly or openly branched shrub with hairy, egg-shaped leaves and flowers which are golden at first, then fade to a greyish colour.

References

  1. 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. 122–123. ISBN   1-876268-46-8.
  2. "Verticordia subulata". APNI. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 113.
  5. 1 2 "Verticordia subulata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 411. ISBN   0646402439.