Verticordia endlicheriana
Verticordia endlicheriana is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and yellow flowers which in some varieties age to red. It is a variable species and in his 1991 paper, Alex George formally described five varieties. Description. "Verticordia endlicheriana" is a shrub which grows to a height of with one to several main stems at the base. Its leaves on the stems are linear in shape, dished to almost round in cross-section, long and have a pointed end. The  leaves near the flowers are oblong to almost round and long. The flowers are sometimes scented and are arranged in round or corymb-like groups on erect stalks from long. The floral cup is a broad top shape, long, ribbed and glabrous. The sepals are yellow, turning red with age in some varieties, long, with 6 to 8 hairy lobes. The petals are a similar colour to the sepals, long and have long, pointed, finger-like appendages. The style is long, straight and glabrous. Flowering time differs, depending on the variety. Taxonomy and naming. "Verticordia endlicheriana" was first formally described  by Johannes Conrad Schauer in 1844 and the description was published in Lehmann's "Plantae Preissianae". The type specimen was collected by Ludwig Preiss near Cape Riche. The specific epithet ("endlicheriana") honours the botanist Stephan Endlicher. Alex George undertook a review of the genus "Verticordia" in 1991 and described five varieties of this species: George placed this species in subgenus "Chrysoma", section "Chrysoma" along with "V. citrella", "V. subulata" and "V. acerosa". Distribution and habitat. This verticordia occurs in a wide range of soils and vegetation associations in the south-west of Western Australia, with each variety having slightly differing  requirements. Conservation. Variety "angustifolia" is classified as "Priority Three" meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. The four other varieties are classified as "not threatened". Use in horticulture. The varieties "endlicheriana" and "angustifolia" are well established in gardens but the other varieties have been difficult to propagate and maintain in cultivation.