Verticordia luteola facts for kids

Verticordia luteola is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. You can only find it in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant is a shrub that grows with branches spreading out. It has many leaves packed closely together on its side branches. Its flowers are usually pale yellow or bright pink. As the flowers get older, they change color to cream or brownish. This type of verticordia blooms during the summer months.

What Verticordia luteola Looks Like

Verticordia luteola is usually a shrub with branches that spread out. It can grow up to 3 m (10 ft) tall and about 1 m (3 ft) wide. Its leaves are very close together, often overlapping each other. They are shaped like an egg or an oval, slightly curved like a dish. Each leaf is about 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) long and covered with tiny hairs.

The flowers have a light scent. They grow in groups along the stems, looking a bit like spikes. Each flower sits on a small stalk, about 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) long. The flower cup (the base of the flower) is shaped like a top, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long. It has 5 ridges and is smooth, meaning it has no hairs. It also has round, green parts called appendages, which are about 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) long.

The sepals (the leaf-like parts that protect the bud) are 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long. They can be pale yellow to greenish-pink. As they age, they turn a lemon-cream color. Each sepal has 7 to 9 shiny, hairy sections called lobes. The petals (the colorful parts of the flower) are similar in color to the sepals. They are 4–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, with hairy lobes that are an extra 2–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. The style (the part of the flower that receives pollen) is 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, curved, and hairy. This plant flowers from November to January.

How Verticordia luteola Got Its Name

The plant Verticordia luteola was first officially described by a scientist named Alex George in 1991. He found a sample of it near Three Springs. His description was then published in a science journal called Nuytsia.

The second part of its name, luteola, comes from the Latin word luteus, which means "yellow." This name refers to the yellow color of the flowers of the first type of this plant found. This yellow color was quite unusual for plants in the Verticordella group.

Alex George described two main types, or varieties, of Verticordia luteola:

• Verticordia luteola var. luteola has leaves that spread out, measuring 2.5–3.5 mm (0.1–0.1 in). Its flowers are pale yellow to cream and white.
• Verticordia luteola var. rosea has leaves that stand up straight, measuring 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in). Its flowers are bright to pale pink and silvery-white.

George placed this species in a group called section Verticordella. Other plants in this group include V. pennigera and V. halophila.

Where Verticordia luteola Grows

This verticordia plant likes to grow in sandy soil, often with gravel mixed in. You can find it in flat areas where there are lots of small shrubs and heath plants. It often grows alongside other types of verticordia plants.

It is found south of Geraldton near the Arrowsmith River, and in areas like Eneabba and Mingenew. These places are part of the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains natural regions in Western Australia.

Protecting Verticordia luteola

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants that need protection.

• The luteola variety is listed as "Priority Three." This means we don't know a lot about it, and it's only found in a few places. However, it's not in immediate danger of disappearing.
• The rosea variety is listed as "Priority One." This means it's known from only one or a few locations, and these places might be at risk. Protecting these areas is important to keep the plant safe.

Growing Verticordia luteola in Gardens

Both types of Verticordia luteola grow well when people try to cultivate them (grow them in gardens or for commercial use). They are usually grown from cuttings, which means a piece of the plant is taken and encouraged to grow roots.

These plants do well in sandy soil. They have also shown that they can handle dry conditions (drought-tolerant) and cold temperatures (frost-tolerant). They even grow well in places with humid climates, like Sydney.