Verticordia plumosa

Verticordia plumosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Verticordia
Species:	V. plumosa
Binomial name
	Verticordia plumosa; (Desfontaines) Druce
variety
	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]

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 centre, these are bunched in rounded forms at the upper branches.

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.

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.

Varieties

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

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

A variant, known as 'Eric John', appears to be an intergeneric cross between V. plumosa and Chamelaucium floriferum.^[3]

References

^ George, E.A. (2002), Verticordia: the turner of hearts: 182
^ Candolle, A.P. de (Ed) (1828), Prodromus 3: 209 APNI
^ Egerton-Warburton, Louise M.; Ghisalberti, Emilio L.; Burton, Neville C. (1998). "Intergeneric Hybridism between Chamelaucium and Verticordia (Myrtaceae) Based on Analysis of Essential Oils and Morphology". Australian Journal of Botany. 46 (2). CSIRO: 201–208. doi:10.1071/BT96125.

Elizabeth A. (Berndt) George; Margaret Pieroni (illustrator) (2002). Verticordia: the turner of hearts. Crawley: University of Western Australia Press. pp. 182–195. ISBN 1-876268-46-8. Verticordia plumosa Tabs: 24; var. a - g {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |chapterurl= (help)