Darwinia virescens
| Murchison Darwinia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| D.virescens in Lesueur National Park. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Darwinia |
| Species: | D. virescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Darwinia virescens (Meisn.) Benth.[1] | |
Darwinia virescens, commonly known as the Murchison Darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae which is endemic to a small area near the west coast of Western Australia near Geraldton.
Description
Darwinia virescens grows as a small, prostrate shrub 5-30 cm (2–12 in) high. It has green, yellow and red flowers from August to January.[2]
Taxonomy and naming
It was first described in 1857 by Carl Meissner as Genetyllis virescens in Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Botany but in the same journal of 1867, George Bentham included it in the genus Darwinia.[1] The specific epithet (virescens) is a Latin word meaning "growing green or verdant.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The Murchison Darwinia occurs in the Swan Coastal Plain and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic zones of Western Australia growing in white or yellow sand in sandheath.[1]
Conservation status
Darwinia virescens is classified as not threatened. [4]
Ecology
The flowers of Darwinia virescens (and of Darwinia sanguinea) are held at ground level and there is speculation that this suggests that they are pollinated by mammals.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 "Darwinia virescens". APNI. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 361. ISBN 0646402439.
- ↑ "virescens". Wiktionary. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ↑ "Darwinia virescens (Meisn.) Benth.". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
- ↑ Kubitzki, Klaus (ed.) (2010). The families and genera of vascular plants sapindales, cucurbitales, myrtaceae. Heidelberg: Springer. p. 219. ISBN 9783642143977. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
External sources
- Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Volume 1 (1857)
- Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Volume 9 (1867)