Verticordia vicinella facts for kids

Verticordia vicinella is a beautiful flowering plant that belongs to the Myrtaceae family, also known as the myrtle family. This special shrub grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia, meaning it's endemic there. You can find it growing near the town of Esperance and in the Cape Arid National Park. It has narrow leaves and small, sweet-smelling flowers that are usually pink or pale yellow.

What Does Verticordia vicinella Look Like?

Verticordia vicinella is a shrub that usually grows from 0.45 m (1 ft) to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall. It can also spread out to about 0.3 m (1 ft) wide. This plant has one main stem. Its leaves are long and thin, about 3 mm (0.12 in) to 4 mm (0.16 in) long, with a rounded tip.

Its Flowers

The flowers of Verticordia vicinella have a lovely scent. They grow in round groups at the ends of the branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long.

The part that holds the flower, called the floral cup, is shaped like a top and is about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. It feels smooth but has some hairs. The sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud, are about 2 mm (0.08 in) long. They stand upright and can be pink, cream, or pale yellow. They also have 3 or 4 feathery parts.

The petals, which are the colorful parts of the flower, are similar in color to the sepals. They are about 1 mm (0.04 in) long and shaped like an egg. The outside of the petals is hairy, and their tips look a little ragged. The style, which is a part of the flower's reproductive system, is 4 mm (0.16 in) to 5 mm (0.20 in) long, straight, and hairy near its tip.

This plant usually flowers from January to May, but people have seen it bloom in most months of the year.

How It's Different from Similar Plants

Verticordia vicinella looks a lot like another plant called Verticordia minutiflora. However, Verticordia vicinella usually has pink flowers, while V. minutiflora mostly has grey to purple flowers. Also, Verticordia vicinella has special parts called staminodes between its stamens (the parts that produce pollen).

How Verticordia vicinella Got Its Name

The plant Verticordia vicinella was first officially described by a scientist named Alex George in 1991. He found a sample of it near Esperance. His description was published in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.

The second part of its scientific name, vicinella, comes from a Latin word vicinus, which means "near". The ending -ella is a Latin suffix that means "small". This name refers to its small flowers and how similar it is to V. minutiflora.

Alex George placed this species in a group called subgenus Verticordia, and then in a smaller group called section Micrantha. Other plants in this group include V. minutiflora and V. fastigiata.

Where Verticordia vicinella Grows

This type of verticordia plant grows in sandy soil. Sometimes, it can be found in areas that get wet during the winter. It lives in the southern part of Western Australia, specifically between Esperance and Mount Ragged in the Cape Arid National Park. These areas are part of the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions.

Is Verticordia vicinella Protected?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Verticordia vicinella as "Not Threatened". This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.

Growing Verticordia vicinella in Gardens

Verticordia vicinella is quite easy to grow from cuttings, which are small pieces of the plant that can grow into a new plant. It's also simple to plant in gardens and is a tough plant that does well in soil that drains water easily.