Verticordia roei

Verticordia roei, commonly known as Roe's featherflower[2] is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and is often covered with masses of creamy-white coloured flowers in late spring.

Roe's featherflower
Verticordia roei subsp. roei
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. Catocalypta
Species:
V. roei
Binomial name
Verticordia roei

Description

Verticordia roei is a shrub which grows to a height of 1 m (3 ft) with a single main stem at its base. The leaves on the stems are linear to narrow elliptic in shape, triangular in cross-section, 1.5–4 mm (0.06–0.2 in) long and have a rounded end.[2]

The flowers are scented and arranged in corymb-like groups on erect stalks from 12–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long. The floral cup is a broadly hemispherical in shape, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long, ribbed and covered with short hairs. The sepals are creamy-white, sometimes pink, 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, with 5 to 7 long-hairy or feathery lobes. The petals are a similar colour to the sepals, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, dished with small teeth around its edge. The style is 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) long, with a few short hairs. Flowering time is from October to November.[2]

Taxonomy and naming

Verticordia roei was first formally described by Stephan Endlicher in 1838 and the description was published in Stirpium Australasicarum Herbarii Hugeliani Decades Tres. The type specimen was collected by John Septimus Roe.[1] The specific epithet (roei) honours Roe, the first surveyor-general of Western Australia.[1][2]

Alex George undertook a review of the genus Verticordia in 1991 and described two subspecies:[3]

  • Verticordia roei Endl. subsp. roei which has stamens 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and styles 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long;[2][4]
  • Verticordia roei subsp. meiogona A.S.George which has stamens 1.5–2.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) long and styles 1.5–2.0 mm (0.06–0.08 in) long.[2][5]

George placed this species in subgenus Verticordia, section Catocalypta along with V. inclusa, V. apecta, V. insignis, V. habrantha, V. lehmannii and V. pritzelii.[3]

Distribution and habitat

This verticordia usually occurs in sandy soil, often with clay or loam over laterite. Subspecies roei is widespread and locally common in areas between Merredin, Boorabbin, Wickepin, Hyden and Lake Grace[2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions.[6] Subspecies meiogona has a smaller distribution near Dalwallinu and Mukinbudin in the Avon Wheatbelt and Coolgardie bioregions.[7]

Conservation

Subspecies meiogona is classified as "Priority One"[7] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.[8] Subspecies roei is classified as "not threatened".[6]

Use in horticulture

Subspecies roei has proven to be difficult to propagate and maintain in cultivation but more success has been achieved with subspecies meiogona. The latter subspecies has been grown from cuttings and by grafting onto Chamelaucium uncinatum rootstock.[2]

References
  1. "Verticordia roei". 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. 266–270. ISBN 1-876268-46-8.
  3. George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
  4. "Verticordia roei subsp. roei". APNI. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  5. "Verticordia roei subsp. meiogona". APNI. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  6. "Verticordia roei roei". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  7. "Verticordia roei meiogona". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  8. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
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