Tree featherflower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tree featherflower |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Verticordia
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| Species: |
cunninghamii
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The Verticordia cunninghamii, also known as tree featherflower or liandu, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant grows naturally only in a specific area. This area is the very north of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It often looks like a thin shrub or a small tree. It has narrow leaves and lovely cream to white flowers. These flowers are feathery and smell sweet.
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What the Tree Featherflower Looks Like
The tree featherflower can be a thin, open shrub or a small tree. It can grow up to 7 m (20 ft) tall. It usually has one or a few thick, woody trunks at its base. Its leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the branches. They are long and thin, like a line. They are also roughly round or three-sided when you look at them closely. Each leaf is about 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long. They have a pointy tip and small, clear oil glands.
The flowers have a sweet smell. They grow in round groups on stalks that are 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The part of the flower that holds the petals and sepals, called the floral cup, looks like half a ball. It is 1.5–2.0 mm (0.06–0.08 in) long. This part is smooth and a little rough. The sepals are cream-colored and 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. They have two hairy parts. The petals are cream to white and shaped like an egg. They are 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. They are joined together for about 1 mm (0.04 in) of their length. Their top edges have uneven teeth. The style, which is part of the flower's reproductive system, is 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. It is straight and has tiny hairs just below its tip. This plant usually flowers from July to October. But this can change depending on how much rain it gets.
How it Got its Name
The Verticordia cunninghamii was first officially described by a scientist named Johannes Conrad Schauer. This happened in 1843. He published his description in a book called Monographia Myrtacearum Xerocarpicarum. The second part of its scientific name, cunninghamii, honors Allan Cunningham. He was a botanist who collected the first samples of this plant. He found them at Roe River in the Kimberley area on December 14, 1820.
This plant is also the main example for a group called Verticordia section Tropica. This group includes two other types of featherflowers. These are V. verticillata and V. decussata. Most plants in the Verticordia group grow in Western Australia.
Where the Tree Featherflower Grows
This type of verticordia grows in many places. You can find it in the north of Western Australia, including the Kimberley region. It also grows in northern parts of the Northern Territory. This includes places like Kakadu National Park. The tree featherflower often lives in areas that flood during certain seasons. It also likes to grow along creeks and rivers. It prefers soil that is loam or gravel. You can find it on exposed sandstone, growing in white, grey, or red sands.
Looking After the Tree Featherflower
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Verticordia cunninghamii. They have decided it is "not threatened." This means it is not in danger of disappearing.
Growing it in Gardens
The Verticordia cunninghamii is a tricky plant to grow in gardens. It is hard to make new plants from it. Scientists are still learning what this plant needs to grow well.
