Verticordia stenopetala facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Verticordia stenopetala |
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| Conservation status | |
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Verticordia
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| Species: |
stenopetala
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The Verticordia stenopetala, also known as the narrow-petal featherflower, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This special plant only grows in the southwest part of Western Australia, meaning it is endemic to that area. It's a small, low shrub with tiny leaves and pretty pink to magenta flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer.
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What Does the Narrow-Petal Featherflower Look Like?
The Verticordia stenopetala is a shrub with many branches. It usually grows to be about 20 to 50 centimeters (8 to 20 inches) tall and just as wide. Its leaves are thin and straight, about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long. They are slightly wider at the tip and are shaped like a half-circle when you look at them from the side.
Flowers of the Featherflower
The flowers of this plant grow in round groups, or sometimes in clusters that look like a flat-topped bunch. Each flower sits on a small stalk that is about 4 to 8 millimeters (0.16 to 0.31 inches) long. The part of the flower that holds the petals, called the floral cup, is about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) long and feels smooth but has tiny hairs.
The sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud, spread out and are about 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) long. They are pink to magenta and have 6 to 8 feathery edges. The petals are the same color as the sepals, about 3 to 3.5 millimeters (0.12 to 0.14 inches) long. They are shaped like an egg and have a few short teeth near their tips. The outside of the petals is a bit hairy. The style, which is part of the flower's reproductive system, is about 6 to 7.5 millimeters (0.24 to 0.30 inches) long, curved, and hairy near its end. You can see these lovely flowers from October to January.
How Was This Plant Named?
The Verticordia stenopetala was officially described for the first time in 1904 by a scientist named Ludwig Diels. He wrote about it in a scientific book called Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie.
Meaning Behind the Name
The second part of its scientific name, stenopetala, comes from two Ancient Greek words. Stenos means "narrow," and petalon means "petal." So, the name "stenopetala" literally means "narrow petal," which describes one of its key features.
Where Does the Narrow-Petal Featherflower Grow?
This type of verticordia plant usually grows in sandy areas. Sometimes you can find it where there is gravel or a type of soil called loam. It likes to grow in areas with heathland (open land with small shrubs) and mallee shrubland (areas with small, multi-stemmed eucalyptus trees).
You can find Verticordia stenopetala in Western Australia, specifically between the towns of Walgoolan, Bullabulling, and Forrestania. These areas are part of the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, and Mallee biogeographic regions.
Is This Plant Protected?
The Verticordia stenopetala is listed as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means that scientists don't know a lot about it, and it's only found in a few places. However, it's not currently in immediate danger of disappearing.
Can You Grow This Plant in Gardens?
Even though this plant has been known for over a hundred years, it has been quite hard to grow in home gardens. It's tricky to get it to start growing from seeds or cuttings, and then even harder to get it to grow well once it's planted. Because of this, not many Verticordia stenopetala plants have been successfully grown outside of their natural habitat.
