Verticordia sieberi facts for kids

Verticordia sieberi is a pretty flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. You can only find it growing naturally in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant is a shrub with a single main stem. It can be a small, bushy plant or sometimes have branches that spread out. It shows off its lovely pink to pale purple flowers during summer and autumn.

About the Plant

Verticordia sieberi is a type of shrub that usually grows to be less than 1.5 metres (about 5 feet) tall. It has one main branch. Sometimes it's a small, compact bush, but other times its branches spread out, holding its flowers high above the leaves.

What it Looks Like

The leaves of this plant are long and narrow, or sometimes more oval-shaped. They are about 2 to 8 millimetres (0.08 to 0.3 inches) long and look like they are half-circles if you cut them in half.

The flowers of Verticordia sieberi have a nice smell. They grow in round groups or clusters near the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a straight stalk that is about 2 to 4 millimetres (0.08 to 0.16 inches) long.

The part of the flower that holds the petals and sepals, called the floral cup, is about 2 millimetres (0.08 inches) long. It's smooth but also has tiny hairs. The sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the flower, spread out and are 2 to 3 millimetres (0.08 to 0.12 inches) long. They can be white or a deep pink colour and have 5 to 7 feathery parts.

The petals are similar in colour to the sepals and stand upright. They are about 2 millimetres (0.08 inches) long and have short hairs around their edges. The style, which is a part of the flower involved in reproduction, is 4 to 6 millimetres (0.16 to 0.24 inches) long, curved, and hairy near its tip. This plant usually flowers from November to April, but it can bloom at other times if the weather is right.

Plant Names and History

How it Got its Name

The plant Verticordia sieberi was first officially described in 1841 by a scientist named Johannes Conrad Schauer. He used notes from another scientist, Karl Moriz Diesing, who had described it earlier but hadn't published it. Schauer's description was put into a book called Monographia Myrtacearum Xerocarpicarum. The second part of its name, sieberi, is a way to honour an Austrian botanist named Franz Sieber.

Different Types of Verticordia sieberi

In 1991, a scientist named Alex George studied the Verticordia group of plants. He divided Verticordia sieberi into four different types, which are called varieties:

• Verticordia sieberi var. sieberi has sepals that are longer than 1.8 millimetres (0.07 inches). Its petals have smooth or slightly jagged edges.
• Verticordia sieberi var. curta has sepals that are shorter than 1.8 millimetres (0.07 inches).
• Verticordia sieberi var. lomata is similar to var. sieberi. However, its petals have feathery or hairy edges, and its leaves are less than 1 millimetre (0.04 inches) wide.
• Verticordia sieberi var. pachyphylla is similar to var. lomata, but its leaves are wider, about 1.5 to 2 millimetres (0.06 to 0.08 inches) wide.

Where it Grows

This Verticordia plant usually grows in sandy soil. Often, it's found in areas that get wet during winter. It lives in heath and shrubland areas. You can find it along the south coast of Western Australia. It also grows inland near Frank Hann National Park and between Hyden and Lake King. These areas are part of different natural regions like the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Coolgardie, and Mallee.

Protecting the Plant

One type of this plant, Verticordia sieberi var pachyphylla, is considered "Priority One" by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means it's only found in a few places, and those places might be at risk. The other types of Verticordia sieberi are not considered threatened.

Growing in Gardens

It has been quite hard to grow any of the V. sieberi varieties in gardens. It's rare for people to have success in getting these plants to grow well outside of their natural habitat.