Verticordia argentea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Verticordia argentea |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Verticordia
|
| Species: |
argentea
|
Verticordia argentea is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant is special because it only grows in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's an upright, somewhat open bush with leaves that are almost round. Its flowers are pink and white and smell nice. You can usually find it growing in sandy areas, especially near a place called Eneabba.
Contents
What Does Verticordia argentea Look Like?
Verticordia argentea is a shrub that stands tall and can be a bit spread out. It usually grows to be about 1–3 m (3–10 ft) high and has one main stem. Its leaves are shaped like wide eggs or are almost perfectly round. They are about 4–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and have a slightly blue-green color.
The flowers of this plant smell sweet. They grow in groups that look like spikes, each on a very short stem, about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. Small, pointed leaf-like parts called bracteoles stay around the flower. The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is shaped like a top and is about 3 mm (0.1 in) long with five ridges.
The sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud, are pale pink or sometimes cream-colored. They are 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) long and have 5 to 7 feathery parts with a shiny, silver edge. The petals are pale pink, but sometimes they are creamy-white. They have thin lines and small spots. These petals are about 5 mm (0.2 in) long and are deeply split into many parts. The style, which is the part of the flower that receives pollen, is about 5 mm (0.2 in) long, straight, and has a fuzzy top part. This plant usually blooms from October to March or April.
How Verticordia argentea Got Its Name
The first official description of Verticordia argentea was written by a scientist named Alex George in 1991. This description was published in a science journal called Nuytsia. He studied plants collected near Eneabba to write about it.
The second part of the plant's name, argentea, comes from the Latin word argentum, which means "silver." This name was chosen because of the pretty silver-colored fringe found on the sepals of the flower.
Alex George grouped this plant with other similar species in a special category called Pennuligera. Some of these related plants include V. comosa, V. lepidophylla, and V. grandis.
Where Verticordia argentea Grows
This type of verticordia plant grows in white, grey, or yellow sand. It often grows alongside other verticordia plants. You can find it in areas with many shrubs or in woodlands where Eucalyptus todtiana trees grow. It is only found in areas south of Eneabba, in a natural region called the Geraldton Sandplains.
The Role of Verticordia argentea in Nature
A native bee, called Dasyhesma argentea, has been seen visiting this specific verticordia plant. Interestingly, this bee's name also comes from the plant's name, argentea. This shows how plants and insects can be connected in nature.
Protecting Verticordia argentea
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Verticordia argentea a special classification: "Priority Two." This means that not much is known about this plant, and it has only been found in a few places. Because it's not widespread, it needs to be watched and protected to make sure it continues to thrive.
Growing Verticordia argentea in Gardens
When V. argentea is grown in gardens, it often becomes a bushier plant than it is in the wild. It can be a bit tricky to get started, but once it's growing, it's usually a strong plant. It needs soil that drains water well and a spot where it gets lots of sunlight.
It's hard to grow new plants from small pieces cut from the plant (called cuttings). However, it's much easier to grow new plants from seeds, even though finding the seeds can be difficult. People have tried to join parts of this plant onto other plants' roots (a process called grafting), but so far, this has not worked well.
