Verticordia plumosa

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Verticordia plumosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Verticordia Species: V. plumosa
Binomial name
Verticordia plumosa (Desfontaines) Druce
Varietie
see text

Verticordia plumosa is a shrub, up to 1.4 m tall, found in Southwest Australia. It was one of the first Verticordia species to be collected and described. It is known by a common name, the Plumed Featherflower.^[1]

Contents 1 Description 2 Habit and distribution 3 Taxonomy 3.1 Varieties 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Description

It may possess a lignotuber, and one or several basal stems. It is openly branched and has linear leaves, 1.5-14 mm long. The scented flowers are pink, mauve or white with a deeper colouration at the cente, these are bunched in rounded forms at the upper branches.

[edit] Habit and distribution

The species has been recorded in all regions of the Southwest Botanical Province, occasionally being found at restricted locations of the more arid areas. Distribution is also known to extend toward Coolgardie, usually Verticordia plumosa var. incrassata, these plants are generally shorter, thicker, and more straggling in habit, a response to the extreme environment.

[edit] Taxonomy

Details of the specimens used in the first description of the species are uncertain. The plant was probably first collected by Archibald Menzies, October 1791; the type collection was made by J Leschenault, in 1803, both at the King George Sound, Western Australia. William Baxter collected another early specimen in 1829.

It is the basionym of Chamelaucium plumosum Desf., and the plant was also described as Verticordia fontanesii DC. (1828)^[2] in a nomination no longer accepted.

[edit] Varieties

In a revision of the genus Verticordia by A.S. George in 1991, seven varieties were created:

• Verticordia plumosa (Desf.) Druce var. plumosa
• Verticordia plumosa var. ananeotes A.S. George (1991)
• Verticordia plumosa var. brachyphylla (Diels) A.S.George
• Verticordia plumosa var. grandiflora (Bentham) A.S.George
• Verticordia plumosa var. incrassata A.S.George
• Verticordia plumosa var. pleiobotrya A.S.George
• Verticordia plumosa var. vassensis A.S.George

[edit] References

• George (Berndt), Elizabeth A.; Margaret Pieroni (illustrations) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts. Crawley: University of Western Australia Press, 182-195. ISBN 1 876 268 46 8. “Verticordia plumosa Tabs: 24; var. a - g” 

[edit] External links

• Information related to Verticordia plumosa from Wikispecies.

• Media related to Verticordia plumosa from the Wikimedia Commons.
• Verticordia plumosa Druce. FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
• Verticordia plumosa Druce. Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.