Verticordia capillaris

Verticordia capillaris is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with a single stem at the base, small leaves and creamy white or occasionally pink flowers in dense corymb-like groups. It is common in small areas near Geraldton.

Verticordia capillaris

Priority Four — Rare Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Verticordia
Subgenus: Verticordia subg. Verticordia
Section: Verticordia sect. Corymbiformis
Species:
V. capillaris
Binomial name
Verticordia capillaris

Description

Verticordia brevifolia is a shrub which grows to a height of 0.2–1.5 m (0.7–5 ft) and a spread of 0.2–0.9 m (0.7–3 ft) and which has a single, highly branched stem at its base. Its leaves are linear to club-shaped, roughly circular in cross-section, 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long, with the leaves near the flowers more club-shaped than those further down the stems.[1]

The flowers are lightly scented and arranged in corymb-like groups, each flower on an erect stalk 2–5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long. The floral cup is shaped like half a sphere, constricted above the middle, about 1.0 mm (0.04 in) long and hairy. The sepals are creamy-white, occasionally pink, 2.0 mm (0.08 in) long, with 2 or 5 main lobes but the entire border of the sepals is feather-like. The petals are the same colour as the sepals, 1.2–1.5 mm (0.05–0.06 in) long, egg-shaped and covered with short hairs. The style is purple coloured, straight and 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) long. Flowering time is from September to November.[1]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia capillaris was first formally described by Alex George in 1991 and the description was published in Nuytsia from specimens collected in Kalbarri National Park by Alex George and Bob Wemm.[2][3] The specific epithet (capillaris) is "named from the Latin capillaris (hair-like), in reference to the very slender style".[1][3]

George placed this species in subgenus Verticordia, section Corymbiformis along with V. polytricha, V. densiflora, V. eriocephala and V. brownii.[3]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia grows in sand, sandy clay or sandy loam in tall shrubland[1] in areas near the Kalbarri National Park and south to near Mullewa[1] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.[4][5]

Conservation

Verticordia capillaris is classified as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,[4] meaning that is rare or near threatened.[6]

Use in horticulture

This species is very rare in cultivation although one plant which was originally transplanted from land that was later cleared for agriculture has survived for more than 15 years. Otherwise the species has proven difficult to introduce to horticulture.[1]

References
  1. Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 230–231. ISBN 1-876268-46-8.
  2. "Verticordia capillaris". APNI. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  4. "Verticordia capillaris". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  5. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 405. ISBN 0646402439.
  6. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
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