Darwinia virescens, commonly known as the Murchison darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and which is endemic to a small area on the west coast of Western Australia near Geraldton.
Murchison darwinia | |
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D.virescens in Lesueur National Park. | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Darwinia |
Species: | D. virescens |
Binomial name | |
Darwinia virescens | |
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Occurrence data from AVH |
Darwinia virescens grows as a small, prostrate shrub 5–30 cm (2–10 in) high. It has green, yellow and red flowers from August to January.[2]
It was first described in 1857 by Carl Meissner as Genetyllis virescens in Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Botany[3][4] but in 1867, George Bentham included it in the genus Darwinia.[1][5] The specific epithet (virescens) is a Latin word meaning "growing green or verdant.[6]
The Murchison Darwinia occurs in the Swan Coastal Plain and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions of Western Australia growing in white or yellow sand in heath.[7]
Darwinia virescens is classified as not threatened.[7]
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.[8]
Taxon identifiers |
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