Verticordia rennieana facts for kids

Verticordia rennieana is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant is a shrub with many branches. It has small, narrow leaves that feel a bit bumpy. In spring and summer, it blooms with lovely pink and silvery-white flowers.

What Does Verticordia rennieana Look Like?

Verticordia rennieana is a shrub that branches out widely. It can grow from 0.3 m (1 ft) to 1.4 m (5 ft) tall. It can also spread out from .15 m (0.5 ft) to 1.4 m (5 ft) wide. When new parts of the plant grow, they look whitish. The leaves are thin and long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) to 7 mm (0.3 in) long. They have small bumps on them, which makes them feel warty.

Flowers and Their Parts

The flowers of Verticordia rennieana have a nice smell. They grow in small groups near the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk that is about 3 mm (0.1 in) to 7 mm (0.3 in) long.

The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is shaped like half a sphere. It is about 2 mm (0.08 in) long. It has large green parts that form a thick ring around it. The sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the bud, are pink and silvery-white. They are about 2.5 mm (0.1 in) to 4 mm (0.2 in) long. Each sepal has 7 to 10 feathery parts.

The petals are pink to purple and spread out. They are about 4 mm (0.2 in) long and are oval or almost round. Their edges are smooth. This plant has only 5 fertile stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. Between these stamens, there are groups of 3 staminodes, which are stamens that don't make pollen. The style, which is part of the female reproductive organ, is about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. It is thick, straight, and has hairs on it. This plant usually blooms from October to January.

How Verticordia rennieana Got Its Name

Verticordia rennieana was first officially described in 1896. Two scientists, Ferdinand von Mueller and Ralph Tate, wrote about it. They studied a plant sample collected by Richard Helms. Their description was published in a science report called Transactions and proceedings and report, Royal Society of South Australia.

The second part of its scientific name, rennieana, was chosen to honor "the excellent Professor of Chemistry in the Adelaide University, Dr. Rennie." This shows how scientists often name new species after people they want to recognize.

Plants are grouped into different categories to help scientists study them. In 1991, a scientist named Alex George reviewed the Verticordia genus. He placed Verticordia rennieana into a smaller group called subgenus Eperephes. It was also placed in a section called Integripetala. Other plants in this section include V. helmsii and V. picta.

Where Verticordia rennieana Grows

This type of verticordia plant is found in a large area of Western Australia. You can find it between the towns of Perenjori and Southern Cross. It likes to grow in sandy soil. Sometimes, the soil also has gravel or loam (a mix of sand, silt, and clay). It often grows alongside other kinds of verticordia plants. This area includes parts of the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants and animals. They have classified Verticordia rennieana as "Not Threatened." This means that the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing.

Growing Verticordia rennieana in Gardens

Even though Verticordia rennieana is a very pretty plant, it is not often grown in home gardens. People who have grown it describe it as "a beautiful small shrub." They also say its flowers smell like honey.

If you want to grow this plant, it is usually started from cuttings. Cuttings are small pieces of the plant that are used to grow new plants. It needs a sunny spot in the garden. The soil must also drain water well, meaning it doesn't stay too wet.