Verticordia grandis
Encyclopedia
Verticordia grandis is a large woody shrub that occurs in Southwest Australia
. The name grandis, Latin for large, is a reference to its large flowers, leaves, and height. It is well known for its large flowers, which are collected and cultivated, and given the informal name of Scarlet Featherflower. It was the first species of the Myrtaceae
family to be have been genetically modified.
, a genus of the Myrtaceae
family, which are noted for their exquisite flowers. It has been described as the most well known and desirable species of the genus. The large size and bright red flowers of this plant distinguish from it from its near relations.
These shrubs are erect and may attain a height between 0.7 and 4.0 metres and one, or several, main stems that branch out 0.3 metres to 3.0 metres across. Some specimens may be tall and erect, but is more commonly bushy regrowth from a lignotuber
. This is the result of exposure to bushfires and other disturbances, the new stems emerging as reddish. The foliage becomes bluish or grey when matured.
The plumose flowers appear in compact groups, that spike out from the upper branch, beginning as white and turning to a deep red colour. The style extends out from the centre of the flower up to 25mm, slightly curving at the end. The petals are fused to form a tube, the sepals are feathery in appearance. Flowering may occur throughout the year, the main period beginning in August and ending in January. The flowers open successively and are up to 25 mm in diameter, these are unscented.
The leaves are 18 to 25 mm long, rounded in outine, paler at the margin, and partly clasping the stem; the floral leaves are similar to those on the lower branches. These are aromatic when crushed, a possible substitute for a floral scent.
An oil is contained in prominent glands on the leaf surface. They may become a shade of purple when a plant is stressed.
The open branched habit of these shrubs, especially those taller and environmentally secure specimens, give a straggly appearance with fewer flowers. Regrowth from a lignotuber, or in cultivated environments, give the shrub a more compact habit that flowers profusely. Whether they are undisturbed, or exposed to bushfire etc., Verticordia grandis often attain ages around 100 years old.
_2.jpg)
Verticordia grandis occurs in yellow, grey, and white sands, especially the Geraldton Sandplains
. The species is found in heathland and open scrub of the region, an association with laterite
has also been identified, and is distributed south of Geraldton and to the east at Three Springs
. The range extends south in the plains, between Geraldton and Perth
, to a place known as Cataby. Most populations occur within 30 miles of the coastline. The species is not considered to be threatened by extinction, the root system making it tolerant of fire, disturbance, and physical damage, however, the large scale clearing of its range, for European agriculture, is presumed to have impacted on population and distribution in the Wheatbelt
. An single outlier at Dalwallinu, conserved on private property by a title deed, is thought to be a remnant of a wider and more eastern distribution.
, one of the few in the genus so endowed, allows the plant to regenerate within a month of a bushfire.
The pollination of Verticordia is poorly understood, although Verticordia grandis, and other red-flowered species are known to be naturally pollinated by birds such as honeyeater
s. Records of the species attracted to cultivated plants, when it has been grown locally, include the Singing, Little Brown or New Holland Honeyeaters, and the Western Spinebill.
.jpg)
The large and bright red flowers of Verticordia grandis have been admired and harvested since its first discovery by Europeans, when Drummond noted its use as an adornment by the people of the region. He described in his first report as the "most beautiful of Australian plants". The cut flower has a vase life
of less than 10 days, shorter that other harvested verticordia, and is unresponsive to treatments that extend this period. A technique for extending this is required for viability as an exported commodity. The dried specimens of freshly opened flowers are less brittle and long lasting in ornamental displays. Until a prohibition on unlicensed collection, the species was harvested by sometimes careless pickers; the floral industry is now supplied by professional pickers or growers. The development of micropropagation
for the plant is expected after its successful genetic transformation in 1993, this was achieved using meristem
atic cells that were found to be present in the leaves.
s, or hardwood cuttings are used in grafts with more resilient species. This has been trialled with Darwinia citriodora
and Chamelaucium uncinatum
(Geraldton wax) supplying the rootstock
. The botanical illustrator, Margaret Pieroni, used a 10-year-old specimen from her garden for the plate in Curtis's Botanical Magazine
. The cultivated specimens of this plant do not attain the height of endemic examples, typically growing between 1 and 2 metres, and may be slow to establish. Pruning is applied to induce a bushy habit, desirable for neatness and blooming, and this is done severely when the plant is mature. Maintenance of the plant is required to reduce the tendency to become straggly by pruning to new wood. Verticordia are difficult to cultivate in moister environments, but success has been achieved with V. grandis (in Sydney) by using free draining soil in an open situation.
, sometime between 1849 and 1850, on his last expedition to Champion Bay. Drummond was collecting seed and specimens for the gardens of England and Europe, the colony's first resident botanical collector, and became so enthused by the appearance of the flowers that he filled his bags with them. His response is noted in the memoirs of Dr William Harvey. After preparing his specimens, and having overeagerly collected, Drummond made a bed of the surplus, feathery, material. The species was described in a letter by Drummond, written to and published by William Jackson Hooker
, which was sufficient to give him credit as its author. Hookers publication of Drummond's description, in his Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany (1853), was preceded by The Perth Gazette in 1852. The same newspaper printed a mention of the species, also by Drummond, in 1851.
Verticordia subg. Eperephes
as Verticordia sect. Pennuligera
, was published in Nuytsia
; Alex George
's 1991 revision of the genus. George chose this taxon, Verticordia grandis, as the type species for the section. The infrageneric placement is as follows:
The leaves of this section are often described as the round or lettuce-leaved species; V. grandis has stem and floral leaves that embrace the stem at their base, and spread out to their diameter of 8–15 mm. The roundish shape of the leaf is highlighted by margins that are lighter in colour.
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...
. The name grandis, Latin for large, is a reference to its large flowers, leaves, and height. It is well known for its large flowers, which are collected and cultivated, and given the informal name of Scarlet Featherflower. It was the first species of the Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
family to be have been genetically modified.
Description
Verticordia grandis is a species of 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,...
, a genus of the Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
family, which are noted for their exquisite flowers. It has been described as the most well known and desirable species of the genus. The large size and bright red flowers of this plant distinguish from it from its near relations.
These shrubs are erect and may attain a height between 0.7 and 4.0 metres and one, or several, main stems that branch out 0.3 metres to 3.0 metres across. Some specimens may be tall and erect, but is more commonly bushy regrowth from a lignotuber
Lignotuber
A lignotuber is a starchy swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem by fire. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, and a sufficient store of nutrients to support a period of growth in the absence of...
. This is the result of exposure to bushfires and other disturbances, the new stems emerging as reddish. The foliage becomes bluish or grey when matured.
The plumose flowers appear in compact groups, that spike out from the upper branch, beginning as white and turning to a deep red colour. The style extends out from the centre of the flower up to 25mm, slightly curving at the end. The petals are fused to form a tube, the sepals are feathery in appearance. Flowering may occur throughout the year, the main period beginning in August and ending in January. The flowers open successively and are up to 25 mm in diameter, these are unscented.
The leaves are 18 to 25 mm long, rounded in outine, paler at the margin, and partly clasping the stem; the floral leaves are similar to those on the lower branches. These are aromatic when crushed, a possible substitute for a floral scent.
An oil is contained in prominent glands on the leaf surface. They may become a shade of purple when a plant is stressed.
The open branched habit of these shrubs, especially those taller and environmentally secure specimens, give a straggly appearance with fewer flowers. Regrowth from a lignotuber, or in cultivated environments, give the shrub a more compact habit that flowers profusely. Whether they are undisturbed, or exposed to bushfire etc., Verticordia grandis often attain ages around 100 years old.
Distribution and habitat
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 species is found in heathland and open scrub of the region, an association with laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
has also been identified, and is distributed south of Geraldton and to the east at Three Springs
Three Springs, Western Australia
Three Springs is located 313 km north of Perth, Western Australia on the Midlands Road. Wheat farming is the main industry.The first Europeans to pass through the Three Springs area were Lieutenant George Grey and his party in 1839. The next exploration of the area in 1846 was undertaken by...
. The range extends south in the plains, between Geraldton and 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....
, to a place known as Cataby. Most populations occur within 30 miles of the coastline. The species is not considered to be threatened by extinction, the root system making it tolerant of fire, disturbance, and physical damage, however, the large scale clearing of its range, for European agriculture, is presumed to have impacted on population and distribution in the Wheatbelt
Wheatbelt
A wheat belt is an agricultural region predominantly dedicated to the growing of wheat--98.77.166.159 23:27, 21 November 2011 also has lots of corn and crops to deal with to.It may more specifically refer to:* Wheat belt...
. An single outlier at Dalwallinu, conserved on private property by a title deed, is thought to be a remnant of a wider and more eastern distribution.
Ecology
The resilient root system of the species, particularly with regard to fire and soil disturbance, allows the plant to attain ages of up to 100 years. The possession of a lignotuberLignotuber
A lignotuber is a starchy swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem by fire. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, and a sufficient store of nutrients to support a period of growth in the absence of...
, one of the few in the genus so endowed, allows the plant to regenerate within a month of a bushfire.
The pollination of Verticordia is poorly understood, although Verticordia grandis, and other red-flowered species are known to be naturally pollinated by birds such as honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s. Records of the species attracted to cultivated plants, when it has been grown locally, include the Singing, Little Brown or New Holland Honeyeaters, and the Western Spinebill.
Uses
The species has been used as the source of cut flowers and as a garden plant. Overpicking and increased demand have prompted study of techniques for its commercial production. Successful research has been undertaken into micropropagation, by means of genetic transformation, for commercial production to supply the floristry industry. This was the first time that a species of Myrtaceae family has been genetically engineered. The publication of papers and reference to the species has steadily increased since the 1990s.Floristry
Vase life
Vase life is the period of time during which a cut flower or cut foliage retains its appearance in a vase. This is a major consideration in identifying plant species suitable for use in the cut flower industry, plants with a long vase life being far more desirable than those with a short vase life....
of less than 10 days, shorter that other harvested verticordia, and is unresponsive to treatments that extend this period. A technique for extending this is required for viability as an exported commodity. The dried specimens of freshly opened flowers are less brittle and long lasting in ornamental displays. Until a prohibition on unlicensed collection, the species was harvested by sometimes careless pickers; the floral industry is now supplied by professional pickers or growers. The development of micropropagation
Micropropagation
Micropropagation is the practice of rapidly multiplying stock plant material to produce a large number of progeny plants, using modern plant tissue culture methods....
for the plant is expected after its successful genetic transformation in 1993, this was achieved using meristem
Meristem
A meristem is the tissue in most plants consisting of undifferentiated cells , found in zones of the plant where growth can take place....
atic cells that were found to be present in the leaves.
Cultivation
The species has been successfully cultivated as an ornamental plant in suburban environments. It is sometimes grown from seed, in mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
s, or hardwood cuttings are used in grafts with more resilient species. This has been trialled with Darwinia citriodora
Darwinia citriodora
Darwinia citriodora, commonly known as Lemon-scented Darwinia, is a shrub which has both erect and prostrate, forms and is endemic to Southwest Australia. It usually grows to between 0.2 and 1.5 metres in height, occasionally reaching 3 metres, and produces red, yellow, and green flowers between...
and Chamelaucium uncinatum
Chamelaucium uncinatum
Geraldton wax is a flowering plant endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub 0.5 to 4m high, bearing white or pink flowers June-November. The name uncinatum means "hooked" in Latin, in reference to the tips of the leaves....
(Geraldton wax) supplying the rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
. The botanical illustrator, Margaret Pieroni, used a 10-year-old specimen from her garden for the plate in Curtis's Botanical Magazine
Curtis's Botanical Magazine
The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed, is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name Curtis's Botanical Magazine....
. The cultivated specimens of this plant do not attain the height of endemic examples, typically growing between 1 and 2 metres, and may be slow to establish. Pruning is applied to induce a bushy habit, desirable for neatness and blooming, and this is done severely when the plant is mature. Maintenance of the plant is required to reduce the tendency to become straggly by pruning to new wood. Verticordia are difficult to cultivate in moister environments, but success has been achieved with V. grandis (in Sydney) by using free draining soil in an open situation.
Discovery and naming
The type collection for Verticordia grandis is the one obtained by James DrummondJames Drummond (botanist)
James Drummond was a botanist and naturalist who was an early settler in Western Australia.-Early life:...
, sometime between 1849 and 1850, on his last expedition to Champion Bay. Drummond was collecting seed and specimens for the gardens of England and Europe, the colony's first resident botanical collector, and became so enthused by the appearance of the flowers that he filled his bags with them. His response is noted in the memoirs of Dr William Harvey. After preparing his specimens, and having overeagerly collected, Drummond made a bed of the surplus, feathery, material. The species was described in a letter by Drummond, written to and published by William Jackson Hooker
William Jackson Hooker
Sir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...
, which was sufficient to give him credit as its author. Hookers publication of Drummond's description, in his Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany (1853), was preceded by The Perth Gazette in 1852. The same newspaper printed a mention of the species, also by Drummond, in 1851.
Infrageneric placement
The taxonomic arrangement of this species, placed in a section of the subgenusSubgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Verticordia subg. Eperephes
Verticordia subg. Eperephes
Verticordia subg. Eperephes is a botanical name for a grouping of similar plant species in the genus Verticordia. This subgenus contains six sections, classifying forty four species, of Alex George's infrageneric arrangement...
as Verticordia sect. Pennuligera
Verticordia sect. Pennuligera
Verticordia sect. Pennuligera is a section of Verticordia that describes a group of sixteen shrub species. This description was first made in 1857 by Carl Meissner in Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, but he did not nominate a type for this grouping. The section was later included...
, was published in Nuytsia
Nuytsia (journal)
Nuytsia is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Western Australian Herbarium. It publishes papers on systematic botany, giving preference to papers related to the flora of Western Australia. Nearly twenty percent of Western Australia's plant taxa have been published in Nuytsia. First published...
; Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
's 1991 revision of the genus. George chose this taxon, Verticordia grandis, as the type species for the section. The infrageneric placement is as follows:
- VerticordiaVerticordiaVerticordia, 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,...
- V. subg. ChrysomaVerticordia subg. ChrysomaVerticordia 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...
(7 sections, 21 species) - V. subg. VerticordiaVerticordia subg. VerticordiaVerticordia subg. Verticordia is a botanical name for a grouping of similar plant species in the genus Verticordia. This subgenus contains eleven sections, classifying thirty six species, of Alex George's infrageneric arrangement. A number of anatomical features differentiate the contained species...
(11 sections, 36 species) - V. subg. EperephesVerticordia subg. EperephesVerticordia subg. Eperephes is a botanical name for a grouping of similar plant species in the genus Verticordia. This subgenus contains six sections, classifying forty four species, of Alex George's infrageneric arrangement...
- V. sect. Integripetala (5 species)
- V. sect. TropicaVerticordia sect. TropicaVerticordia sect. Tropica is a section of Verticordia that describes three species; outliers in the distribution range of the genus...
(3 species) - V. sect. Jamiesoniana (1 species)
- V. sect. VerticordellaVerticordia sect. VerticordellaVerticordia sect. Verticordella is a section of Verticordia that describes a group of eighteen shrub species. This description was first made in 1857 by Carl Meissner in the Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, but he did not indicate the reason for his choice of the name. It was...
(18 species) - V. sect. Corynatoca (1 species)
- V. sect. PennuligeraVerticordia sect. PennuligeraVerticordia sect. Pennuligera is a section of Verticordia that describes a group of sixteen shrub species. This description was first made in 1857 by Carl Meissner in Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, but he did not nominate a type for this grouping. The section was later included...
- V. comosa
- V. lepidophylla
- V. chrysostachys
- V. aereifloraVerticordia aereifloraVerticordia aereiflora is a woody shrub found in Western Australia....
- V. dichroma
- V. x eurardyensis
- V. muelleriana
- V. argenteaVerticordia argenteaVerticordia argentea is a woody shrub found in Southwest Australia.It is found on ridges and sandhills of the Geraldton Sandplains, occurring on white, grey, or yellow sands. The habit is erect and open, with a height between 0.9 an 2.0 metres. The leaves are rounded, rolled at the margin, and...
- V. albidaVerticordia albidaVerticordia albida is a rare woody shrub found in Western Australia....
- V. fragrans
- V. venustaVerticordia venustaVerticordia venusta is a shrub that occurs in Southwest Australia. The epithet is derived from venustus, Latin for charming, and refers to the flower of the plant.- Description :...
- V. forrestiiVerticordia forrestiiVerticordia forrestii is a woody shrub that occurs in the north of Western Australia. It was named after an explorer and statesman, John Forrest, and first described by the botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller, in 1883...
- V. serotina
- V. oculataVerticordia oculataVerticordia oculata is a sprawling woody shrub found in Western Australia. The plant displays silver-white flowers with a dark centre of lilac and purple, the largest flowers of the genus Verticordia....
- V. etheliana
- V. grandis
- V. subg. Chrysoma
The leaves of this section are often described as the round or lettuce-leaved species; V. grandis has stem and floral leaves that embrace the stem at their base, and spread out to their diameter of 8–15 mm. The roundish shape of the leaf is highlighted by margins that are lighter in colour.