Verticordia monadelpha
Encyclopedia
Verticordia monadelpha is a shrub found in Southwest Australia
.
It is commonly referred to by the names Pink Morrison,
Woolly Featherflower,
Pink or White Woolly Featherflower,
and Pink Cauliflower.
The leaves are long and thin, coming to a point, and are sharply triangular and ridged in outline. The length is between 7 and 20 mm long. Floral leaves are similar to those found on the stem.
V. monadelpha is found on deep sand, gravelly sand, and lateritic soils. It often occurs with other Verticordia in heathlands and open shrubland, perhaps in association with Actinstrobus arenarius and Banksia sceptrum
. It occurs in woodlands, sandplains, and heathland of regions northeast of Perth
.
The first description of this species was published by Turczaninow
from a specimen collected by James Drummond
, sometime in the 1840s.
V. monadelpha is the type species nominated by Alex George
for the section
of Verticordia
known as Verticordia sect. Intricata.
, George named two varieties of this species.
The variety Verticordia monadelpha var. monadelpha is based on the original description. These shrubs have a wider distribution than the second section, and are found in the Carnarvon and Yalgoo regions, the Avon Wheatbelt
and on the Geraldton Sandplains
. The soil types preferred by this section also include red loam and grey sand.
George transferred the botanical name Verticordia callitricha of Meisner's description to a new taxon Verticordia monadelpha var. callitricha.
This variety is between 0.3 to 0.6 metres, or up to 1.7 metres, rounded, but greater in height than width. The plant sometimes attains a size over 1.3 metres tall and 1.2 metres in width.
The distribution is restricted to an area north of Geraldton. This range is bounded by the Emu Proof Fence in the north, and is found in the Kalbarri National Park
and south-east toward Morawa
. The plant is referred to as the Pink Cauliflower, the form of the tightly bunched flowers resembles the arrangement of a cauliflower
. The type specimen was collected by Drummond in 1850-51.
for cut flowers, but are now protected by state's general prohibition of wildflower picking. The commonly occurring variety is vulnerable to changes in land use and altered fire regimes. The variety Verticordia monadelpha var. monadelpha is located in a National Park.
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...
.
It is commonly referred to by the names Pink Morrison,
Woolly Featherflower,
Pink or White Woolly Featherflower,
and Pink Cauliflower.
Description
The species is varies in sizes up to 1.7 metres and 2.0 metres in diameter, with many branches on a single main stem. The habit of the shrub is dense and rounded. The plant displays pink to reddish purple flowers, during a period from October to January. These are crowded and erect, in a corymbose arrangement that cover the rounded shrub in blooms. Long cilia form a fringe on each flower, this gives the plant a wooly appearance.The leaves are long and thin, coming to a point, and are sharply triangular and ridged in outline. The length is between 7 and 20 mm long. Floral leaves are similar to those found on the stem.
V. monadelpha is found on deep sand, gravelly sand, and lateritic soils. It often occurs with other Verticordia in heathlands and open shrubland, perhaps in association with Actinstrobus arenarius and Banksia sceptrum
Banksia sceptrum
Banksia sceptrum, the Sceptre Banksia, occurs in Western Australia near the central west coast from Geraldton north through Kalbarri to Hamelin Pool. It extends inland almost to Mullewa....
. It occurs in woodlands, sandplains, and heathland of regions northeast of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
The first description of this species was published by Turczaninow
Nicolai Stepanovitch Turczaninow
Porphir Kiril Nicolai Stepanowitsch Turczaninow was a Ukrainian-Russian botanist who first identified several genera, and many species of plants...
from a specimen collected by James Drummond
James Drummond (botanist)
James Drummond was a botanist and naturalist who was an early settler in Western Australia.-Early life:...
, sometime in the 1840s.
V. monadelpha is the type species nominated by Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
for the section
Section (botany)
In botany, a section is a taxonomic rank below the genus, but above the species. The subgenus, if present, is higher than the section, and the rank of series, if present, is below the section. Sections are typically used to help organise very large genera, which may have hundreds of species...
of Verticordia
Verticordia
Verticordia, a genus of the Myrtaceae family, are woody shrubs with small and exquisite flowers. They are mostly found in Southwest Australia, with several outlier species in northern regions. A revision of the genus in 1991 produced a classification within Verticordia of 3 subgenera, 24 sections,...
known as Verticordia sect. Intricata.
Varieties
In his 1991 revision of the genus VerticordiaVerticordia
Verticordia, a genus of the Myrtaceae family, are woody shrubs with small and exquisite flowers. They are mostly found in Southwest Australia, with several outlier species in northern regions. A revision of the genus in 1991 produced a classification within Verticordia of 3 subgenera, 24 sections,...
, George named two varieties of this species.
The variety Verticordia monadelpha var. monadelpha is based on the original description. These shrubs have a wider distribution than the second section, and are found in the Carnarvon and Yalgoo regions, the Avon Wheatbelt
Avon Wheatbelt
Avon Wheatbelt is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia region in Western Australia and part of the larger Southwest Australia savanna ecoregion.-Further reading:...
and on the Geraldton Sandplains
Geraldton Sandplains
Geraldton Sandplains is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia region in Western Australia and part of the larger Southwest Australia savanna ecoregion.It has two sub regions: -* Geraldton Hills sub region* Lesuer sub region...
. The soil types preferred by this section also include red loam and grey sand.
George transferred the botanical name Verticordia callitricha of Meisner's description to a new taxon Verticordia monadelpha var. callitricha.
This variety is between 0.3 to 0.6 metres, or up to 1.7 metres, rounded, but greater in height than width. The plant sometimes attains a size over 1.3 metres tall and 1.2 metres in width.
The distribution is restricted to an area north of Geraldton. This range is bounded by the Emu Proof Fence in the north, and is found in the Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park is located north of Perth. The major geographical features of the park include the Murchison River gorge which runs for nearly 80 kilometres on the lower reaches of the Murchison River...
and south-east toward Morawa
Morawa
Morawa may refer to the following towns and villages:* Morawa, Western Australia** Shire of Morawa* Morawa, Lower Silesian Voivodeship * Morawa, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship...
. The plant is referred to as the Pink Cauliflower, the form of the tightly bunched flowers resembles the arrangement of a cauliflower
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
. The type specimen was collected by Drummond in 1850-51.
Conservation status
Verticordia monadelpha populations were once threatened by overexploitationOverexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Sustained overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource...
for cut flowers, but are now protected by state's general prohibition of wildflower picking. The commonly occurring variety is vulnerable to changes in land use and altered fire regimes. The variety Verticordia monadelpha var. monadelpha is located in a National Park.