Autumn featherflower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Autumn featherflower |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Verticordia
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| Species: |
harveyi
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Verticordia harveyi, commonly known as autumn featherflower, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the Myrtaceae family, which is the same family as gum trees. This special plant grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It is a thin, tall shrub with long leaves. In late summer and autumn, it shows off small white, pink, or magenta-coloured flowers.
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What Does the Autumn Featherflower Look Like?
Verticordia harveyi is a thin shrub with branches that spread out. It can grow from about 0.2 m (0.7 ft) to 1.5 m (5 ft) tall. It usually spreads about 20 cm (8 in) to 40 cm (20 in) wide. Its leaves are quite long, about 8 mm (0.3 in) to 12 mm (0.5 in) in length. They are shaped like lines and are almost round when you look at them closely. Each leaf ends in a long, sharp point.
Discovering the Flowers of Verticordia harveyi
The flowers of the autumn featherflower grow in groups that look like flat-topped clusters. Each flower sits on its own straight stalk, which is about 3 mm (0.1 in) to 6 mm (0.2 in) long. The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is shaped like a top. It is about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long and feels smooth. This cup is also covered with short, soft hairs.
The sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the flower bud, are white, pink, or magenta. They are about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) to 4 mm (0.16 in) long. They have 6 to 8 fuzzy parts. The petals are the same colour as the sepals. They are about 2.5 mm (0.1 in) long and shaped like an egg. The petals stand up straight and have pointy edges with hairs on the outside. Inside the flower, some parts called staminodes are longer than the stamens (which produce pollen). These staminodes curve inwards and are also hairy. The style, which is part of the female reproductive organ, is about 5 mm (0.2 in) long. It curves and has many short hairs near its tip. You can see these flowers blooming from January to April.
How Was This Plant Named?
The plant Verticordia harveyi was first officially described by a scientist named George Bentham in 1867. He wrote about it in a book called Flora Australiensis. The very first plant specimen used to describe the species was collected by William Henry Harvey. He found it near a place called Cape Riche. Another similar plant, collected by George Maxwell in 1860, was also identified as this species. It was likely found in the same area. The second part of the plant's name, harveyi, is a way to honour William Henry Harvey, the botanist who found the first plant.
Understanding Its Plant Family Tree
In 1991, another scientist named Alex George studied the whole group of Verticordia plants. He placed Verticordia harveyi into a smaller group called subgenus Verticordia, and then into an even smaller group called section Verticordia. This means it's closely related to other featherflowers like the V. crebra, V. helichrysantha, and V. plumosa.
Where Does the Autumn Featherflower Grow?
This type of verticordia plant likes to grow in deep sand. You can usually find it in open areas with Banksia trees, which are a type of woodland. It is found near Cape Riche and Manypeaks. You can also see it in the Stirling Range National Park. These areas are part of the Esperance Plains and Jarrah Forest regions in Western Australia.
Protecting the Autumn Featherflower
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife lists Verticordia harveyi as "Priority Four." This means it is rare or almost threatened, so it needs special attention to protect it.
Before, it was listed as "Endangered" under a national law called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This meant it was in danger of disappearing. However, after four new groups of these plants were found in a national park, experts decided it was not as critically endangered as they first thought. This was good news for the species!
Can We Grow This Plant in Gardens?
It is possible to grow Verticordia harveyi from cuttings, which means growing a new plant from a piece of an existing one. However, it can sometimes be tricky to keep them growing well. They can get sick from fungal attacks. Plants with darker flowers are often more popular for gardens. This is because their flowers stand out better than the lighter ones, which can sometimes be hidden by the leaves. You can see some of these plants growing in pots at Kings Park.
