Verticordia rennieana

Verticordia rennieana is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly branched shrub with small, narrow, warty leaves and pink and silvery-white flowers in spring and summer.

Verticordia rennieana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Verticordia
Subgenus: Verticordia subg. Eperephes
Section: Verticordia sect. Integripetala
Species:
V. rennieana
Binomial name
Verticordia rennieana
F.Muell. & R.Tate[1]

Description

Verticordia rennieana is an openly branched shrub which grows to a height of 0.3–1.4 m (1–5 ft) and .15–1.4 m (0.5–5 ft) wide. Its new growth is whitish and the leaves are linear, 2–7 mm (0.08–0.3 in) long and prominently warty.[2]

The flowers are scented and arranged in small groups near the ends of the branches, each flower on a stalk 3–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long. The floral cup is hemispherical in shape, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long, with large green appendages forming a thick collar around the hypanthium. The sepals are pink and silvery-white, 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long with 7 to 10 feathery lobes. The petals are spreading, pink to purple 4 mm (0.2 in) long, oval to almost round with a smooth edge. There are only 5 fertile stamens with groups of 3 staminodes between the stamens. The style is about 1 mm (0.04 in) long, thick, straight and hairy. Flowering time is from October to January.[2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia rennieana was first formally described by Ferdinand von Mueller and Ralph Tate in 1896 from a specimen collected by Richard Helms and the description was published in Transactions and proceedings and report, Royal Society of South Australia.[1][3] The specific epithet (rennieana) honours "the meritorious Professor of Chemistry in the Adelaide University, Dr. Rennie".[3]

In his review of the genus in 1991, Alex George placed this species in subgenus Eperephes, section Integripetala along with V. helmsii, V. interioris, V. mirabilis and V. picta.[4]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia is found in a broad area between Perenjori and Southern Cross where it grows in sand, sometimes with gravel or loam, often with other species of verticordia[2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.[5][6]

Conservation

Verticordia rennieana is classified as "Not Threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[5]

Use in horticulture

Although this verticordia is rarely grown in gardens it is described as "a beautiful small shrub ... with honey-perfumed flowers". It is propagated from cuttings and requires a sunny position in well-drained soil.[2][7]

References
  1. "Verticordia rennieana". APNI. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  2. Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 300–302. ISBN 1-876268-46-8.
  3. von Mueller, Ferdinand; Tate, Ralph (1896). "Phanerogams and Vascular Cryptogams". Transactions and Proceedings and Report, Royal Society of South Australia. 16 (3): 354. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  4. George, A.S. (1991) New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Nuytsia 7(3): 254
  5. "Verticordia rennieana". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 410. ISBN 0646402439.
  7. Fairall, Arthur (1970). West Australian Native Plants in Cultivation. Rushcutters Bay, N.S.W.: Pergamon Press. p. 235.
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