Verticordia subulata

Verticordia subulata
Verticordia subulata in the Stirling Range National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Verticordia
Subgenus:	Chrysoma
Section:	Chrysoma
Species:	V. subulata
Binomial name
Verticordia subulata A.S.George

Verticordia subulata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody shrub with pointed, linear leaves and in spring, heads of yellow flowers which turn red as they age.

Verticordia subulata is a shrub which grows to a height of 10–70 cm (4–30 in) and a width of 5–40 cm (2–20 in). There is usually a single branch at the base and no lignotuber. The leaves are linear in shape, pointed, 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long whilst those near the flowers are shorter.

The flowers are lightly scented and are arranged in corymb-like groups on erect stalks from 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The floral cup is top-shaped, about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long, ribbed, slightly wary and . The sepals are yellow, turning deep red with age, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long, with 8 to 10 densely hairy lobes. The petals are a similar colour to the sepals, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and have long, pointed, finger-like projections. The style is 0.5–1 mm (0.02–0.04 in) long, straight and glabrous. Flowering time is from September to October.

Verticordia subulata was first formally described by Alex George in 1991 from specimens collected from the Stirling Range National Park by Alex and Elizabeth George. The description was published in Nuytsia. The specific epithet (subulata) is derived from the Latin word subula meaning "an " referring to the shape of the staminodes.

George placed this species in Subgenus Chrysoma, Section Chrysoma along with V. citrella, V. endlicheriana and V. acerosa.

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Wikipedia