Verticordia plumosa
Encyclopedia
Verticordia plumosa is a shrub, up to 1.4 m tall, found in Southwest Australia
. It was one of the first Verticordia
species to be collected and described. It is known by a common name, the Plumed Featherflower.
, and one or several basal stems. It is openly branched and has linear leaves, 1.5–14 mm long.
The scented flowers are pink, mauve or white with a deeper colouration at the centre, these are bunched in rounded forms at the upper branches.
, October 1791; the type
collection was made by J Leschenault
, in 1803, both at the King George Sound
, Western Australia. William Baxter
collected another early specimen in 1829.
It is the basionym of Chamelaucium plumosum Desf., and the plant was also described as Verticordia fontanesii DC.
(1828) in a nomination no longer accepted.
by A.S. George in 1991, seven varieties were described:
A variant, known as 'Eric John', appears to be an intergeneric cross between V. plumosa and Chamelaucium floriferum.
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 was one of the first 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,...
species to be collected and described. It is known by a common name, the Plumed Featherflower.
Description
It may possess a lignotuberLignotuber
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...
, and one or several basal stems. It is openly branched and has linear leaves, 1.5–14 mm long.
The scented flowers are pink, mauve or white with a deeper colouration at the centre, these are bunched in rounded forms at the upper branches.
Habit and distribution
The species has been recorded in all regions of the Southwest Botanical Province, occasionally being found at restricted locations of the more arid areas. Distribution is also known to extend toward Coolgardie, usually Verticordia plumosa var. incrassata, these plants are generally shorter, thicker, and more straggling in habit, a response to the extreme environment.Taxonomy
Details of the specimens used in the first description of the species are uncertain. The plant was probably first collected by Archibald MenziesArchibald Menzies
Archibald Menzies was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist.- Life and career :Menzies was born at Easter Stix in the parish of Weem, in Perthshire. While working with his elder brother William at the Royal Botanic Gardens, he drew the attention of Dr John Hope, professor of botany at...
, October 1791; the type
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
collection was made by J Leschenault
Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour
Jean Baptiste Louis Claude Theodore Leschenault de la Tour was a French botanist and ornithologist.Leschenault de la Tour was chief botanist on Nicolas Baudin's expedition to Australia between 1800 and 1803...
, in 1803, both at the King George Sound
King George Sound
King George Sound is the name of a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Located at , it is the site of the city of Albany.The sound covers an area of and varies in depth from to ....
, Western Australia. William Baxter
William Baxter
William Baxter may refer to:* William Baxter , physician and politician in Nova Scotia* William Baxter , English botanist who collected in Australia...
collected another early specimen in 1829.
It is the basionym of Chamelaucium plumosum Desf., and the plant was also described as Verticordia fontanesii DC.
A. P. de Candolle
Augustin Pyramus de Candolle also spelled Augustin Pyrame de Candolle was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at an herbarium...
(1828) in a nomination no longer accepted.
Varieties
In a revision of the genus VerticordiaVerticordia
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,...
by A.S. George in 1991, seven varieties were described:
- Verticordia plumosa (Desf.) DruceGeorge Claridge DruceGeorge Claridge Druce, MA, LLD, JP, FRS, FLS was an English botanist and a Mayor of Oxford.G. Claridge Druce was born at Potterspury on Watling Street in Northamptonshire. He was the illegitimate son of Jane Druce, born 1815 in Buckinghamshire.He went to school in the village of Yardley Gobion....
var. plumosa - Verticordia plumosa var. ananeotes A.S. GeorgeAlex GeorgeAlexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
(1991) - Verticordia plumosa var. brachyphylla (DielsLudwig DielsDr. Friedrich Ludwig Emil Diels , was a German botanist.Diels was born in Hamburg, the son of the classical scholar Hermann Alexander Diels. From 1900 to 1902 he traveled together with Ernst Pritzel through South Africa, Java, Australia and New Zealand. Shortly before the first world war he...
) A.S.George - Verticordia plumosa var. grandifloraVerticordia plumosa var. grandifloraVerticordia plumosa var. grandiflora is a shrub up to 1.4 m tall found along the southern coastal regions of Southwest Australia. It is a variety of the species Verticordia plumosa, and is sometimes found growing in association with Verticordia verticordina in heath....
(BenthamGeorge BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
) A.S.George - Verticordia plumosa var. incrassata A.S.George
- Verticordia plumosa var. pleiobotrya A.S.George
- Verticordia plumosa var. vassensis A.S.George
A variant, known as 'Eric John', appears to be an intergeneric cross between V. plumosa and Chamelaucium floriferum.