Forrest's featherflower facts for kids

Verticordia forrestii, also called Forrest's featherflower, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant only grows naturally in the north-west part of Western Australia. It's a shrub (a bushy plant) with small, egg-shaped leaves. In spring, it shows off lots of sweet-smelling pink to red flowers.

What Forrest's Featherflower Looks Like

Verticordia forrestii is a very branched and often thick shrub. It can grow from about 0.5 to 2 meters (1.5 to 6.5 feet) tall. Its leaves are shaped like an egg or are almost round. They have a pointed tip and are very small, only about 1 to 2 millimeters long.

Flowers of the Featherflower

The flowers of this plant smell nice. They grow in short, spike-like groups on thick stems. These stems are about 1 to 2.5 millimeters long. All the flowers usually open at the same time.

The part that holds the flower, called the floral cup, is shaped like a wide top. It's about 2 to 3 millimeters long and smooth. It has 5 ribs and small green parts that stick out.

The sepals are the leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud. They can be light pink, bright pink, or dark reddish-pink. Sometimes they are white. They are about 4.5 to 5 millimeters long. These sepals have 9 to 13 feathery parts and two small, hairy, ear-like pieces. The petals are the colorful parts of the flower. They stand upright and are similar in color to the sepals. They are about 4.5 to 6 millimeters long and have a hairy edge.

The style is a thin stalk in the middle of the flower. It is about 4 to 6 millimeters long. At first, it is bent, but it slowly straightens out. It has hairs mostly on one side. Verticordia forrestii flowers from July to November.

How Forrest's Featherflower Got Its Name

The plant Verticordia forrestii was first officially described in 1883. This was done by a famous botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He published its description in a science record. The second part of its name, forrestii, honors a person named Forrest. He was an explorer and a statesman. He collected the first sample of this plant near the Gascoyne River in 1882.

Plant Classification and Groups

In 1991, a scientist named Alex George studied all the plants in the Verticordia group. He put Verticordia forrestii into a smaller group called Pennuligera. This group also includes other similar plants like V. comosa and V. grandis.

Where Forrest's Featherflower Grows

This type of verticordia plant likes to grow in deep sand. You can find it on sand dunes in open areas with many shrubs. It grows between the towns of Carnarvon and Onslow near the coast. It can also be found further inland, near Ashburton Downs and Wiluna. It also grows south-east to the Kennedy Range and almost to the Wooramel River. These areas are part of different biogeographic regions in Western Australia.

Forrest's Featherflower and Its Environment

The flowers of Verticordia forrestii are often visited by small bees. These bees belong to a family called Colletidae. One type of bee that visits is called Euryhesma forrestii.

Protecting Forrest's Featherflower

The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Verticordia forrestii is "not threatened." This means it is not in danger of disappearing.

Growing Forrest's Featherflower in Gardens

This verticordia is a nice plant to grow in gardens. It usually grows to about 1 meter (3 feet) tall when people plant it. It grows best in warmer places. The flowers start to appear in November and keep blooming until April. They open all at once and almost cover the leaves and branches. People have grown this plant from both cuttings (small pieces of the plant) and seeds. It grows best in sandy soil and needs a sunny spot.