Verticordia citrella
| Verticordia citrella | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Verticordia |
| Subgenus: | Verticordia subg. Chrysoma |
| Section: | Verticordia sect. Chrysoma |
| Species: | V. citrella
|
| Binomial name | |
| Verticordia citrella | |
Verticordia citrella is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, densely-branched shrub with cylinder shaped stem leaves that differ from those near the flowers, and small yellow flowers in groups near the ends of the branches.
Description
[edit]Verticordia citrella is a shrub with a single stem at the base but highly branched, growing to a height of up to 1.0 m (3 ft) and a width of up to 50 cm (20 in). The leaves on the stems are linear in shape, round in cross-section, 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and taper to a point. Those near the flowers are broad elliptic to almost circular and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long.[2]
The flowers are faintly scented, arranged in round or corymb-like groups on erect stalks 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long, glabrous and slightly warty. The sepals are yellow, 2.0 mm (0.079 in) long, with 5 or 6 lobes with hairy fringes. The petals are also yellow, 1.5–1.8 mm (0.06–0.07 in) and have long, spreading finger-like lobes. The style is 0.8 mm (0.03 in) long, straight and glabrous. Flowering time is from October to November.[2]
The species V. acerosa is closely related and similar but it has larger leaves and larger flowers, and the flowers turn red or darker colours as they age.[2]
Taxonomy and naming
[edit]Verticordia citrella was first formally described by Alex George in 1991 from specimens collected between Perth and Toodyay by Alex and Elizabeth George. The description was published in Nuytsia.[1][3] The specific epithet (citrella) is derived from the Latin adjective citreus meaning "of lemon-yellow colour"[4] with the suffix -ella making the adjective diminutive,[5] referring to the colour and small size of the flowers.[2]
George placed this species in subgenus Chrysoma, section Chrysoma along with V. acerosa, V. subulata, V. endlicheriana.[3]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]This verticordia usually grows in sand that is damp in winter, in open shrubland. It only occurs in a single nature reserve between Perth and Toodyay.[6][7]
Conservation
[edit]Verticordia citrella is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife[6] meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.[8]
Use in horticulture
[edit]Verticordia citrella has been grown in Western Australia in well-drained soil and has flowered prolifically in sunny positions. It has been more difficult to grow in eastern Australia but has survived in containers for 3 or 4 years. It has been propagated from cuttings but plants grown in deep sand have sometimes self-sown from seed.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Verticordia citrella". APNI. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts (1st ed.). Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 120–121. ISBN 1-876268-46-8.
- ^ a b George, Alex (1991). "New taxa, combinations and typifications in Verticordia (Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae)". Nuytsia. 7 (3): 231–394.
- ^ Wieser, Monika; Schumann, Peter; Martin, Karin; AItenburger, Petra; Burghardt, Jutta; Lubitz, Werner; Busse, Hans-Jurgen (1999). "Agrococcus citreus sp. nov., isolated from a medieval wall painting of the chapel of Castle Herberstein (Austria)". International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology. 49 (3): 1168. doi:10.1099/00207713-49-3-1165. PMID 10425775.
- ^ Miller, Ian Andreas. "The Formation of Latin Diminutives of Nouns and Adjectives" (PDF). Dies Gaudii. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ a b "Verticordia citrella". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 406. ISBN 0646402439.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 28 May 2016.