Verticordia verticordina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Verticordia verticordina |
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Verticordia
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verticordina
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Verticordia verticordina is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. You can only find this plant in a small area near the coast of Western Australia, in the south-west part of the state. It's a small shrub that grows close to the ground. It has many leaves packed together and, in spring, you can see pale greenish-cream and golden-brown flowers scattered on its branches. Its unique flowers and thick leaves make it look a bit like another plant called Darwinia.
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What Verticordia verticordina Looks Like
Verticordia verticordina is a small bush with many main stems. It usually grows to be about 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) tall and 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) wide. Its leaves are long and thin, shaped like a half-circle. They are about 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long and are crowded together near the ends of the branches.
Flowers and Their Features
The flowers grow on thick, straight stalks that are about 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.12 inches) long. They appear where the upper leaves join the stem. The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is shaped like half a ball. It's about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) long and feels hairy, especially near the bottom.
The sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the flower, are cream-colored. They turn brown as they get older. They are about 3.5 millimeters (0.14 inches) long and stand upright. Their edges are a bit ragged, papery, and slightly hairy. The petals are also cream-colored but have a dark, brownish stripe in the middle. They are egg-shaped, pointed, and stand upright, measuring about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) long.
The staminodes, which are parts of the flower that look like stamens but don't produce pollen, are pointed and longer than the actual stamens. They are a golden-brown color. The style, a long part of the flower's reproductive system, is about 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) long. It curves gently and has a few hairs near its tip.
The thick look of its leaves, the mostly smooth edges of its sepals, and its long style help tell this plant apart from other Verticordia species. These features also make it look a bit like a Darwinia plant. This plant flowers from September to December.
How Verticordia verticordina Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1864 by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He first called it Chamelaucium verticordina. His description was published in a book called Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. The first plant specimen used for this description was collected by George Maxwell in what is now the Cape Le Grand National Park. The name verticordina was chosen because it looked similar to a Verticordia plant.
A year later, in 1865, George Bentham changed its name to Darwinia verticordina. Then, in 1991, when Alex George studied the Verticordia group of plants again, he decided to include this species. He kept the name verticordina, meaning "like a verticordia," even though it was now placed in the Verticordia group.
Where Verticordia verticordina Lives
You can find this verticordia plant along the south coast of Western Australia. It grows between the towns of Esperance and Israelite Bay. It prefers to grow near granite rocks along the coast, especially in wet, sandy clay soil. Sometimes, you can find it growing in bushland alongside another plant called Verticordia plumosa var. grandiflora.
Protecting Verticordia verticordina
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has put Verticordia verticordina on a special list called "Priority Three". This means that not many of these plants are known, and they only grow in a few spots. However, they are not in immediate danger of disappearing.
Growing Verticordia verticordina in Gardens
While this plant might not be as popular for gardens as some other verticordias, it's fairly easy to grow new plants from small pieces, called cuttings. You can grow it in pots or hanging baskets. However, it doesn't produce a huge number of flowers when grown this way.
