Verticordia patens facts for kids

The Verticordia patens is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant is special because it only grows naturally in the south-west part of Western Australia. When a plant or animal only lives in one specific place, it's called endemic.

This plant is a type of shrub, which is a woody plant smaller than a tree. It has long, thin leaves with pointy ends. Its flowers are a light yellow color and have a faint scent. They grow in open groups at the ends of the branches. You can find Verticordia patens quite often in a small area south of a town called Badgingarra.

What Does Verticordia patens Look Like?

Verticordia patens is a slim, woody shrub. It usually grows to be about 0.2 to 1.3 meters (which is about 8 inches to 4 feet) tall and can spread out up to 0.6 meters (about 2 feet) wide.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are shaped like thin lines and are somewhat round when you look at them from the side. They are about 4 to 12 millimeters (about 0.16 to 0.47 inches) long and have a sharp tip.

The flowers have a very light scent. They grow in groups that look like a flat-topped cluster, called a corymb, at the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a straight stalk that is about 5 to 19 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.75 inches) long.

The part of the flower that holds the petals and other parts, called the floral cup, is about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) long. It's smooth and a little bumpy. The sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud, are lemon-yellow and spread outwards. They are about 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.12 inches) long and have 5 to 7 feathery parts, plus two hairy bits.

The petals are light yellow and stand upright. They are about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) long and are shaped like an egg with a jagged edge. The style, which is a part of the flower's reproductive system, is about 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) long, straight, and smooth. Verticordia patens usually blooms from September to November.

How Was This Plant Named?

The Verticordia patens was officially described for the first time in 1966 by a scientist named Alex George. He wrote about it in a publication called Western Australian Naturalist. Alex George found the very first example of this plant, known as the type specimen, near the Moore River.

The second part of the plant's scientific name, patens, comes from a Latin word that means "open." This name was chosen because of how the branches of this plant spread out in an open way.

When Alex George looked at all the different types of Verticordia plants again in 1991, he placed Verticordia patens into a group called Chrysohoe. Other plants like V. nitens are also in this group.

Where Does Verticordia patens Grow?

This special Verticordia plant grows in a small area in Western Australia. You can find it between the towns of Badgingarra, Coorow, and Moore River.

It usually grows in sandy or gravelly soil. Sometimes, the soil might be on top of a hard, reddish layer called laterite or a rich soil called loam. You can find it in different types of plant communities, like heath (areas with small shrubs), shrubland (areas with many shrubs), or low woodland (areas with scattered trees).

Is Verticordia patens Protected?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Verticordia patens is "not threatened." This means it's not in danger of disappearing. Even though it only grows in a small area, it's quite common there. Plus, part of its habitat is inside a large national park, which helps protect it.

Can We Grow Verticordia patens in Gardens?

It is possible to grow Verticordia patens from cuttings, which means taking a piece of the plant and helping it grow roots. However, it can be tricky to keep this plant healthy in a garden. It often gets sick from fungal diseases, which are caused by tiny organisms like mold.