Verticordia oculata
Encyclopedia
Verticordia oculata is a sprawling woody shrub found in Western Australia
. The plant displays silver-white flowers with a dark centre of lilac and purple, the largest flowers of the genus Verticordia
.
A low growing shrub up to 700 millimetres in height that sprawls out 0.3 - 1 metre. The species possess a lignotuber
, from which several or many main stems emerge. The floral and stem leaves are circular in outline, with a distinct white margin, and attach directly to the stem. The flowers are grouped in a spreading arrangement at the upper parts of the stem. These are composed of feather-like sepals, 10 millimetres long, that have 12-14 silver-white lobes, becoming lilac to purple at the base, and petals with deeper colouration. The petals, 7-8 millimetres long, also contain 15-17 fine lobes structures which contribute to its resemblance to an eye. Flowering occurs between October to December.
The species was first described in 1856 by Carl Meissner
, from a collection made by James Drummond
in 1851. The botanist Ferdinand von Mueller
became entranced by its floral display when he visited the area in 1877, later describing the shrub as the 'princess of Australian flora'.
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 northern regions of Southwest Australia
. It has a distribution range north of the Principality of Hutt River to a locality west of the Billabong Roadhouse. Specimens are recorded near the coast and inland to Yuna.
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'.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The plant displays silver-white flowers with a dark centre of lilac and purple, the largest flowers of the genus Verticordia
Verticordia
Verticordia, a genus of the Myrtaceae family, are woody shrubs with small and exquisite flowers. They are mostly found in Southwest Australia, with several outlier species in northern regions. A revision of the genus in 1991 produced a classification within Verticordia of 3 subgenera, 24 sections,...
.
A low growing shrub up to 700 millimetres in height that sprawls out 0.3 - 1 metre. The species possess a lignotuber
Lignotuber
A lignotuber is a starchy swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem by fire. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, and a sufficient store of nutrients to support a period of growth in the absence of...
, from which several or many main stems emerge. The floral and stem leaves are circular in outline, with a distinct white margin, and attach directly to the stem. The flowers are grouped in a spreading arrangement at the upper parts of the stem. These are composed of feather-like sepals, 10 millimetres long, that have 12-14 silver-white lobes, becoming lilac to purple at the base, and petals with deeper colouration. The petals, 7-8 millimetres long, also contain 15-17 fine lobes structures which contribute to its resemblance to an eye. Flowering occurs between October to December.
The species was first described in 1856 by Carl Meissner
Carl Meissner
Carl Daniel Friedrich Meissner was a Swiss botanist.Born in Bern, Switzerland on 1 November 1800, he was christened Meisner but later changed the spelling of his name to Meissner. For most of his 40 year career he was Professor of Botany at University of Basel...
, from a collection made by James Drummond
James Drummond
James Drummond may refer to:*James Drummond, 1st Baron Maderty*James Drummond , Bishop of Brechin*James Drummond , Scottish-born botanist and naturalist, early settler in Western Australia....
in 1851. The botanist Ferdinand von Mueller
Ferdinand von Mueller
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
became entranced by its floral display when he visited the area in 1877, later describing the shrub as the 'princess of Australian flora'.
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 northern regions of Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...
. It has a distribution range north of the Principality of Hutt River to a locality west of the Billabong Roadhouse. Specimens are recorded near the coast and inland to Yuna.
This species and Verticordia etheliana are thought to have created a hybrid, which was discovered then lost to bushfire in the Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park is located north of Perth. The major geographical features of the park include the Murchison River gorge which runs for nearly 80 kilometres on the lower reaches of the Murchison River...
. The collectors cloned material from their specimen and continue to propagate the natural hybrid, now known as Verticordia 'Wemms find'.