Verticordia lehmannii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Verticordia lehmannii |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Verticordia
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| Species: |
lehmannii
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Verticordia lehmannii is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant is special because it only grows in the southwest part of Western Australia. It's a thin shrub with a few branches. It has leaves that are spaced out and small, pretty flowers. These flowers are usually pale pink or silvery with a dark pink center.
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What Does This Plant Look Like?
Verticordia lehmannii is a thin shrub. It does not have many side branches. It usually grows about 30 to 75 centimeters (12 to 30 inches) tall. It can spread out about 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) wide. Its leaves grow in pairs, one across from the other. They are shaped like an oval or a rectangle. Each leaf is about 2 to 5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.2 inches) long. They are also a bit like a triangle when you look at them from the side.
The flowers grow in small, round groups. These groups are found at the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a straight stalk. This stalk is about 3.5 to 7 millimeters (0.14 to 0.28 inches) long. The part of the flower that holds the petals is called the floral cup. It is about 2.5 to 3.0 millimeters (0.1 to 0.12 inches) long. This cup is a bit hairy near its bottom.
The sepals are pale pink or silvery-white. They are about 3.5 to 5 millimeters (0.14 to 0.2 inches) long. They have hairy parts and ear-shaped bits with fuzzy tips. The petals are about 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters (0.14 to 0.18 inches) long. They are shaped like an egg and are curved like a dish. They spread out wide and are pale pink. The center of the petals is a deeper pink color. The style, which is part of the flower, is about 4.5 to 7 millimeters (0.18 to 0.28 inches) long. It is mostly straight but bends near the top. It also has a few scattered hairs. This plant mainly flowers from December to April.
How This Plant Got Its Name
The plant Verticordia lehmannii was first officially described in 1844. A scientist named Johannes Conrad Schauer wrote about it. He used plant samples collected by Ludwig Preiss. The description was published in a book called Plantae Preissianae.
The second part of the plant's name, lehmannii, honors a person. It is named after Johann Georg Christian Lehmann. He was the editor of the book Plantae Preissianae.
In 1991, a scientist named Alex George studied all the plants in the Verticordia group. He placed Verticordia lehmannii into a smaller group. This group is called Catocalypta. Other plants in this group include V. roei and V. inclusa.
Where This Plant Lives
This Verticordia plant grows in sandy soil. It likes areas that get wet during the winter. You can find it in swamps, heathlands, and shrublands. It only grows in the very southwest part of Western Australia. It is found between the towns of Busselton and the Scott River area. This area includes the Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain, and Warren regions.
Keeping This Plant Safe
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants. They have classified Verticordia lehmannii as "Priority Four". This means the plant is rare or nearly threatened. It needs special attention to make sure it stays safe.
How People Grow This Plant
People have tried to grow Verticordia lehmannii from cuttings. Cuttings are small pieces of the plant that can grow into a new plant. However, these cuttings are hard to get started and keep alive.
More success has been found by using a method called grafting. This is when you join a piece of Verticordia lehmannii onto another plant's root system. For this plant, they often use the roots of Darwinia citriodora. Plants grown this way become bushy and strong after about three or four years.
