Verticordia ovalifolia 0
Author: Carl Meissner (1800-1874)Family: Myrtaceae Subfamily: Myrtoideae Tribe: Chamelaucieae Subtribe: Chamelauciinae
Genus: Verticordia Subgenus: Eperephes Section: Corynatoca
English name: Oval Leaved Feartherflower
Zone: Australia
Description
This species occurs in the western Avon, northern and central-western Darling, southern lrwin and western Roe Districts. Plants grow on sandy soils that are sometimes associated with lateritic gravels. Two variants are cultivated, a dwarf bushy shrub, and another which grows to about 1m tall and has a more open appearance. The species epithet refers to the oval leaves.
Verticordia ovalifolia Observed in Australia by Stanislaw Wawrzyczek (license)
Botanical Description
It is a dwarf to small shrub with a lignotuber, stems solitary or several, few- to moderately branched. The branchlets are leafy.
The stem and floral leaves are 0.4-1cm x 0.3-0.6cm, elliptic to obovate, sessile, spreading to ascending, somewhat crowded, concave, green to grayish-green. The margins are translucent, apex blunt with short point.
The flowers are to about 2.5cm across, cream to reddish-pink or reddish-purple, on stalks to about 0.8cm long, in clusters at ends of branchlets, can be profuse and always highly conspicuous. The bracteoles are sharply pointed, deciduous. The floral tube is about 0.3cm long, top-shaped, faintly 5-ribbed, faintly warty, glabrous, with broad reflexed appendages. The sepals are to about 0.8cm long, spreading, usually 10-13-lobed, feathery fringe. The petals are to about 0.9cm long, erect, upper margins deeply and irregularly fringed. The stamens are very short, with sizeable oblong anthers. The style is to about 0.8cm long, erect, straight, hairy below apex.
The stem and floral leaves are 0.4-1cm x 0.3-0.6cm, elliptic to obovate, sessile, spreading to ascending, somewhat crowded, concave, green to grayish-green. The margins are translucent, apex blunt with short point.
The flowers are to about 2.5cm across, cream to reddish-pink or reddish-purple, on stalks to about 0.8cm long, in clusters at ends of branchlets, can be profuse and always highly conspicuous. The bracteoles are sharply pointed, deciduous. The floral tube is about 0.3cm long, top-shaped, faintly 5-ribbed, faintly warty, glabrous, with broad reflexed appendages. The sepals are to about 0.8cm long, spreading, usually 10-13-lobed, feathery fringe. The petals are to about 0.9cm long, erect, upper margins deeply and irregularly fringed. The stamens are very short, with sizeable oblong anthers. The style is to about 0.8cm long, erect, straight, hairy below apex.
Useful plant
Pruning from an early stage promotes branching. It is an excellent cut-flower. This species is suitable for containers, rock gardens and raised or well-drained garden beds.
References
- Encyclopedia of Australian Plants, Elliot W. Rodger & Jones David L. 2012 Vol. 9 pag. 424-425. ISBN
References
- Encyclopedia of Australian Plants, Elliot W. Rodger & Jones David L. 2012 Vol. 9 pag. 424-425. ISBN
References for the genus
- Encyclopedia of Australian Plants, Elliot W. Rodger & Jones David L. 2012 pag. 394-398. ISBN
- New taxa, combinations and typiflcations in VerHcordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Nuytsia 1991 Vol. 7(3) pag. 231-394. Address
- The genus Verticordia (Myrtaceae) in Northern Australia, N. B. Byrnes. Austrobaileya 1977 Vol. 1(1) pag. 47-48. JStor
- Two new taxa of Verticordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae) from south-western Australia, Alex S. George and Matthew D. Barrett. Nuytsia 2010 Vol. 20 pag. 309-318. Link
- How to grow Bottle Brushes. Australian Plants 1960 Vol. 1(3). Address
- New taxa, combinations and typiflcations in VerHcordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Nuytsia 1991 Vol. 7(3) pag. 231-394. Address
- The genus Verticordia (Myrtaceae) in Northern Australia, N. B. Byrnes. Austrobaileya 1977 Vol. 1(1) pag. 47-48. JStor
- Two new taxa of Verticordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae) from south-western Australia, Alex S. George and Matthew D. Barrett. Nuytsia 2010 Vol. 20 pag. 309-318. Link
- How to grow Bottle Brushes. Australian Plants 1960 Vol. 1(3). Address
General specifications
Biological type: shrub
Frost resistance: 18ºF
Leaf color: dark green
Flower color: pink
Reproduction mode: hermaphrodite plant whoes flowers produce both male and female gametes
Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 4,9ft x 4,9ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h Foliage: evergreen
Growth: fast
Flowering time from February until June
Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 30%Compost+30%Coco+40%Sand
Plant watering: 1x a week pH 5.5
Logical sequence of containers for: Eucalyptus; forestry plate 8cm, forestry pot 3L, Airpot 12L, Airpot 50L, Airpot 800L
Propagation is done by cuttings
Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 400-600mm
Gravelly soil: much
Sandy soil: much
Acidic soil: a little
Draining soil: much
Frost resistance: 18ºF
Leaf color: dark green
Flower color: pink
Reproduction mode: hermaphrodite plant whoes flowers produce both male and female gametes
Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 4,9ft x 4,9ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h Foliage: evergreen
Growth: fast
Flowering time from February until June
Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 30%Compost+30%Coco+40%Sand
Plant watering: 1x a week pH 5.5
Logical sequence of containers for: Eucalyptus; forestry plate 8cm, forestry pot 3L, Airpot 12L, Airpot 50L, Airpot 800L
Propagation is done by cuttings
Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 400-600mm
Gravelly soil: much
Sandy soil: much
Acidic soil: a little
Draining soil: much
Sowing instructions
AUTUMN Clean to pure seeds. Soak the seeds in ambient water for 24h with a SmokeDisk. Sow the seeds on the surface of Well Drained Seed Sowing Mix at >77°F. During germination keep the substrate moist and in daylight. The seeds germinate in 52 weeks. The results are erratic. The viability of the seeds, kept under good conditions, is 3 years.
Germination references for the genus
- How to grow Bottle Brushes. Australian Plants 1960 Vol. 1(3). Address
- Restoration of habitat, Propagation of difficult plants, Dennis Cooper. Australian Plants 1999 Vol. 120(160) pag. 174-75. Address
- Variation in seed production and germination in 22 rare and threatened Western Australian Verticordia (Myrtaceae), Cochrane, A and Brown, K and Cunneen, S and Kelly, A. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 2001 Vol. 84 pag. 103. Address
- Verticordia Study Group, Association of societies for growing Australian plants. 1988 Vol. 10. Address
Germination references for the genus
- How to grow Bottle Brushes. Australian Plants 1960 Vol. 1(3). Address
- Restoration of habitat, Propagation of difficult plants, Dennis Cooper. Australian Plants 1999 Vol. 120(160) pag. 174-75. Address
- Variation in seed production and germination in 22 rare and threatened Western Australian Verticordia (Myrtaceae), Cochrane, A and Brown, K and Cunneen, S and Kelly, A. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 2001 Vol. 84 pag. 103. Address
- Verticordia Study Group, Association of societies for growing Australian plants. 1988 Vol. 10. Address
Experiences in the garden
05-06-14A Obtaining seeds from seed provider Australian Seed collected in '....'. (Cultivated from unknown origin)
21-08-14 Sown 47 seeds in a tray, they did not geminate in Terras1g.
Protocol: Autumn Surface Sowing mix+Sand >77°F Damp substrate+Light 3-6w