Verticordia brevifolia facts for kids

Verticordia brevifolia is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant is special because it is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. This means it naturally grows only in that specific area and nowhere else in the world! It's a small bush with leaves shaped like tiny cylinders and bright yellow flowers. These flowers are interesting because they change color to red as they get older. There are two types of Verticordia brevifolia, called subspecies, and both are quite rare, so they have a special conservation rating to protect them.

What Does It Look Like?

Verticordia brevifolia is a small bush that usually grows to be about 20 to 40 centimeters (8 to 16 inches) tall. It often has more than one main stem coming from its base. The leaves are thin and round, like a small tube. They are about 3 to 7 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) long and are mostly found close together on the shorter branches near the top of the plant. Each leaf has a small, sometimes hooked, point at its end.

Its Flowers

The flowers of Verticordia brevifolia often have a nice smell. They grow in round groups near the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a straight stalk that is about 7 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. The part of the flower that holds the other parts, called the floral cup, looks like half a sphere and is about 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inches) long. It has a slightly bumpy surface.

The sepals (which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud) are bright yellow. They are about 3.5 millimeters (0.14 inches) long and have 6 or 7 feathery parts. The petals (the colorful parts of the flower) are also bright yellow and are about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long. They have long, spreading parts that look like fingers. The style (a part of the flower involved in reproduction) is straight and smooth, without any hairs. This plant usually flowers from September to November.

How It Got Its Name

The plant Verticordia brevifolia was officially described for the first time in 1991 by a scientist named Alex George. He published his description in a scientific journal called Nuytsia. He based his description on samples he and Elizabeth George collected near a place called Nyabing.

The second part of its scientific name, brevifolia, comes from two Latin words: brevis, which means "short," and folium, which means "leaf." So, brevifolia means "short-leaved," which describes its small leaves!

Different Types of Verticordia brevifolia

There are two main types, or subspecies, of Verticordia brevifolia:

• Verticordia brevifolia subsp. brevifolia: This type has sepals and petals that are about 3 to 3.5 millimeters (0.12 to 0.14 inches) long. It is found in the Nyabing area.
• Verticordia brevifolia subsp. stirlingensis: This type has slightly longer sepals and petals, about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.20 inches) long. It is only found in the Stirling Range area.

Alex George grouped this species with other similar plants in a special category called Jugata.

Where It Grows

The subspecies brevifolia is found in areas with gravelly clay soil, often along roadsides. These areas are between Nyabing, Dumbleyung, and Ongerup in Western Australia.

The subspecies stirlingensis is mostly found inside the Stirling Range National Park. Here, it grows in gravel, sand, or loam (a type of soil) in areas with low bushes (heath), taller shrubs (shrubland), or open forests (woodland).

Protecting This Plant

Both subspecies of Verticordia brevifolia are considered important for conservation by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Subspecies brevifolia is listed as "Priority Three". This is because all the known groups of these plants grow along roadsides, which makes them more vulnerable.

Subspecies stirlingensis is listed as "Priority Two". This means there are only a few known groups of this plant, making it quite rare and needing special protection.

Growing Verticordia brevifolia

People have found that Verticordia brevifolia subspecies brevifolia is easier to grow and care for than subspecies stirlingensis. It has been grown in gardens for over eight years and makes a lovely small bush with bright, colorful flowers.

Usually, new plants are grown from cuttings (small pieces taken from an existing plant). These plants can handle light frosts, which means they can survive a little bit of cold weather.