Plastic verticordia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Plastic verticordia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Verticordia
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| Species: |
integra
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The Verticordia integra, also known as plastic verticordia, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant grows naturally only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's a small shrub with just a few branches. It has thick, oval-shaped leaves and bright, shiny golden flowers that bloom in late spring.
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What the Plastic Verticordia Looks Like
The Verticordia integra is an open, bushy plant with branches that don't grow too close together. It usually grows to be about 30–75 cm (10–30 in) tall and 20–50 cm (8–20 in) wide. Its leaves are shaped like an oval or an egg. They are about 2–7 mm (0.08–0.3 in) long. The leaves have a rounded end but also a short, tiny point at the very tip. Leaves closer to the flowers are similar but a bit shorter.
The flowers often have a nice smell. They grow in round, cluster-like groups at the end of the branches. Each flower sits on a straight stem that is about 7–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long. The flowers lower down on the plant have longer stems. The part of the flower that holds the petals and sepals, called the floral cup, is flat and shaped like half a ball. It's less than 1.0 mm (0.04 in) long and feels rough but has no hairs.
The sepals are gold-coloured and about 3 mm (0.1 in) long. They spread out wide and have 4 to 6 parts with long, spreading hairs. The petals are shiny gold, about 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and stand upright. They are shaped like an egg or are almost round, and they are slightly curved like a dish with smooth edges. The style, which is part of the flower's reproductive system, is straight or slightly curved. It's about 2.5 mm (0.1 in) long and has no hairs. Most of these plants flower between October and November.
How it Got its Name
The Verticordia integra was first officially described by a scientist named Alex George in 1991. He wrote about it in a science journal called Nuytsia. He found the first samples of this plant near Newdegate with Elizabeth George.
The second part of its scientific name, integra, comes from a Latin word. Integer means "untouched" or "unhurt." This name was chosen because the petals of this flower have smooth, unbroken edges.
When Alex George looked closely at all the plants in the Verticordia group in 1991, he placed this species into a smaller group. This group was called subgenus Chrysoma, and then even smaller, section Sigalantha. Another plant, V. serrata, is also in this same section.
Where the Plastic Verticordia Lives
This type of verticordia plant usually grows alongside other verticordia species. It prefers sandy soil that might also have lateritic gravel, or soil that is a mix of sand and clay (called loam or clay). It often grows in areas with low, dense shrubs, known as heathland.
You can mainly find this plant in the area between Lake Biddy, Lake Magenta, Lake King, and Ravensthorpe. These areas are part of the Esperance Plains and Mallee regions in Western Australia.
Protecting the Plastic Verticordia
The Verticordia integra is listed as "Priority Four" by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means that the plant is rare or close to being threatened. It needs special attention to make sure its numbers don't drop too low.
Growing Plastic Verticordia in Gardens
It has been quite tricky to grow and establish this verticordia plant in gardens. Even when people try to grow it, it can be hard to get it to settle in. However, if it does grow successfully, the garden plants tend to be bushier than those found in the wild. People have tried to grow new plants from cuttings, which are small pieces taken from an existing plant. But even after getting the cuttings to sprout, it's still hard to get them to grow well in a garden.
