Verticordia cooloomia
Encyclopedia
Verticordia cooloomia is a shrub found in Western Australia
, referred to by the common name Cooloomia Verticordia.
V. cooloomia is slender, reaches a height of 2.5 metres, does not possess a lignotuber, and is distinguished by the form of its golden flowers, which appear between October and November.
It is found along yellow sand ridges and on limestone at the Geraldton Sandplains
, in open banksia woodland and shrubland, or in low heath, on undulating landscapes.
The first description was by Alex George
in 1991, based on a collection made at Murchison House Station by George and others in 1986. The discovery was made by Stephen Hopper
in 1979 at the Nature Reserve of the same name; the origin of the word "Cooloomia", transposed from another area, is not known.
The species is somewhat similar to Verticordia nitens
, V. aurea
and V. patens
, the three members of V. sect. Chrysorhoe
, but was separated by George to a monotypic section of Verticordia subg. Chrysoma
as Verticordia sect. Cooloomia. The larger size of the leaves and flowers, make this species easily distinguishable from these.
The state's Department of Environment and Conservation identifies this species as poorly surveyed though without known threats, further study could result in a status of rare.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, referred to by the common name Cooloomia Verticordia.
V. cooloomia is slender, reaches a height of 2.5 metres, does not possess a lignotuber, and is distinguished by the form of its golden flowers, which appear between October and November.
It is found along yellow sand ridges and on limestone at 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...
, in open banksia woodland and shrubland, or in low heath, on undulating landscapes.
The first description was by Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
in 1991, based on a collection made at Murchison House Station by George and others in 1986. The discovery was made by Stephen Hopper
Stephen Hopper
Stephen Donald Hopper is a Western Australian botanist, specialising in conservation biology and vascular plants. He has written eight books, and has over 200 publications to his name. He was Director of Kings Park in Perth for seven years, and CEO of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority for five...
in 1979 at the Nature Reserve of the same name; the origin of the word "Cooloomia", transposed from another area, is not known.
The species is somewhat similar to Verticordia nitens
Verticordia nitens
Verticordia nitens is an upright shrub, 0.45 to 1.8 metres tall, with glistening and perfumed flower heads that appear between October and February in Southwest Australia...
, V. aurea
Verticordia aurea
Verticordia aurea is a woody shrub found in Western Australia, referred to by the common name Buttercups. The profusion of flowers are a rich yellow or orange, presented on the corymbosely formed upper branches of the shrub, at a height between 0.6 and 1.5 metres...
and V. patens
Verticordia patens
Verticordia patens is a slender woody shrub found in Western Australia. It is between 200 - 1300 mm tall and has yellow and green flowers, held out in rounded bunches. It was first described in The Western Australian Naturalist by Alexander George, from a collection he made at Moore River,...
, the three members of V. sect. Chrysorhoe
Verticordia sect. Chrysorhoe
Verticordia sect. Chrysorhoe is a section of Verticordia that describes a group of four shrub species. The section is contained by a subgenus, Verticordia subg. Chrysoma, in Alex George's 1991 revision of the genus. The sections name, which may refer to the flowers, is derived from Greek, chryso-...
, but was separated by George to a monotypic section of Verticordia subg. Chrysoma
Verticordia subg. Chrysoma
Verticordia subg. Chrysoma is a botanical name for a grouping of similar plant species in the genus Verticordia.This subgenus contains seven sections, classifying twenty one species, of Alex George's infrageneric arrangement...
as Verticordia sect. Cooloomia. The larger size of the leaves and flowers, make this species easily distinguishable from these.
The state's Department of Environment and Conservation identifies this species as poorly surveyed though without known threats, further study could result in a status of rare.