Verticordia verticordina
Encyclopedia
Verticordia verticordina is a species of flowering plant
in the Myrtaceae
family. It is a low growing shrub, with greenish-white flowers, that occurs near the southern coast of Western Australia
.
The habit of this small shrub, with many basal stems, is spreading to prostrate. The floral leaves are between 5 and 10 millimetres long and are similar to those on the stem; these are semicircular in cross section, giving a fleshy appearance. The flowers are pale and greenish-cream, browning as they age on the plant. The cream coloured sepals, 3.5 mm long and elliptic, have almost undivided, ragged and papery, slightly hairy, or entire margins. The petals have several cilia structures at their margins, are cream, 3 mm long, and have an oval shape that tapers to a point. The hypanthium is hairy, ovules are two and the long style, 15 mm and tapering, is slightly bearded below the apex. It does not possess a lignotuber
.
The fleshy appearance of leaves and flowers, and almost entire margin of the sepal, distinguish this plant from other species of Verticordia
. Variously placed within the Myrtaceae
family, the species shares characteristics with two closely related genera. Verticordia verticordina was originally named Chamelaucium verticordinum in the description by Ferdinand von Mueller
(1864), then transferred to Darwinia
, as D. verticordina, by George Bentham
the following year.
The Latin term verticordina translates as resembling Verticordia. When Alex George
transferred the species into that genus in 1991, with some reservations, its specific epithet was conserved. The plant shares characteristics with two other species in the same region, V. oxylepis and V. longistylis, these are contained in Verticordia sect. Infuscata, although it also resembles small species of Darwinia.
George's infrageneric placement is within Verticordia subg. Verticordia
as the sole member of section Verticordia sect. Elachoschista, which has the unusual or unique characteristics; fleshiness, unlobed sepals, prominent staminodes, and wet habitat.
The arrangement may be summarised as:
The specimens used for the description of this species were collected by George Maxwell
at Cape Le Grand National Park
. Several populations are recorded in the Esperance Plains
region, between Esperance and Israelite Bay, occurring on or near coastal granite outcrops in wet and sandy clay. It is sometimes found growing in heath with Verticordia plumosa var. grandiflora
The state's Department of Environment and Conservation has placed this species on the Declared Rare and Priority Flora List as P3, small and poorly surveyed populations that may be declared rare.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
family. It is a low growing shrub, with greenish-white flowers, that occurs near the southern coast of Western Australia
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 habit of this small shrub, with many basal stems, is spreading to prostrate. The floral leaves are between 5 and 10 millimetres long and are similar to those on the stem; these are semicircular in cross section, giving a fleshy appearance. The flowers are pale and greenish-cream, browning as they age on the plant. The cream coloured sepals, 3.5 mm long and elliptic, have almost undivided, ragged and papery, slightly hairy, or entire margins. The petals have several cilia structures at their margins, are cream, 3 mm long, and have an oval shape that tapers to a point. The hypanthium is hairy, ovules are two and the long style, 15 mm and tapering, is slightly bearded below the apex. It does not 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...
.
The fleshy appearance of leaves and flowers, and almost entire margin of the sepal, distinguish this plant from other species of 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,...
. Variously placed within the Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
family, the species shares characteristics with two closely related genera. Verticordia verticordina was originally named Chamelaucium verticordinum in the description by 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:...
(1864), then transferred to Darwinia
Darwinia (plant)
Darwinia is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, endemic to southeastern and southwestern Australia. The majority are native to southern Western Australia, but a few species occur in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The genus was named in honour of...
, as D. verticordina, by George Bentham
George Bentham
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
the following year.
The Latin term verticordina translates as resembling Verticordia. When Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
transferred the species into that genus in 1991, with some reservations, its specific epithet was conserved. The plant shares characteristics with two other species in the same region, V. oxylepis and V. longistylis, these are contained in Verticordia sect. Infuscata, although it also resembles small species of Darwinia.
George's infrageneric placement is within Verticordia subg. Verticordia
Verticordia subg. Verticordia
Verticordia subg. Verticordia is a botanical name for a grouping of similar plant species in the genus Verticordia. This subgenus contains eleven sections, classifying thirty six species, of Alex George's infrageneric arrangement. A number of anatomical features differentiate the contained species...
as the sole member of section Verticordia sect. Elachoschista, which has the unusual or unique characteristics; fleshiness, unlobed sepals, prominent staminodes, and wet habitat.
The arrangement may be summarised as:
- Genus VerticordiaVerticordiaVerticordia, 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,...
- Subgenus VerticordiaVerticordia subg. VerticordiaVerticordia subg. Verticordia is a botanical name for a grouping of similar plant species in the genus Verticordia. This subgenus contains eleven sections, classifying thirty six species, of Alex George's infrageneric arrangement. A number of anatomical features differentiate the contained species...
- Section VerticordiaVerticordia sect. VerticordiaVerticordia sect. Verticordia is a section of Verticordia that describes a group of eight shrub species. The section is contained by the subgenus Verticordia subg. Verticordia in Alex George's 1991 infrageneric arrangement...
- Section Corymbiformis
- Section Micrantha
- Section Infuscata
- Section Elachoschista
- V. verticordina
- Section Pencillaris
- Section Pilocosta
- Section Catocalypta
- Section Platandra
- Section Recondita
- Section Intricata
- Section Verticordia
- Subgenus Verticordia
The specimens used for the description of this species were collected by George Maxwell
George Maxwell
George Maxwell was a professional collector of plants and insects in Southwest Australia. The botanical specimens he obtained were used to make formal descriptions of the region's plant species....
at Cape Le Grand National Park
Cape Le Grand National Park
Cape Le Grand National Park is a national park in Western Australia, south-east of Perth and east of Esperance. The park covers an area of The area is an ancient landscape has above sea level for well over 200 million years and remained unglaciated...
. Several populations are recorded in the Esperance Plains
Esperance Plains
Esperance Plains, also known as Eyre Botanical District, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located on the south coast between the Avon Wheatbelt and Hampton regions, and bordered to the north by the Mallee region, it is a plain punctuated by granite and quartz outcrops and...
region, between Esperance and Israelite Bay, occurring on or near coastal granite outcrops in wet and sandy clay. It is sometimes found growing in heath with Verticordia plumosa var. grandiflora
Verticordia plumosa var. grandiflora
Verticordia 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....
The state's Department of Environment and Conservation has placed this species on the Declared Rare and Priority Flora List as P3, small and poorly surveyed populations that may be declared rare.