SPECIES: Verticordia apecta — Hay River Featherflower, Scruffy Verticordia
CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered
In a lonely location, south-east of Perth in WA grows the last few Hay River Featherflower plants. The Featherflower is a slender shrub, only growing to about half a metre tall. It has pink inner flower petals and finer fringe-like and fluffy looking white outer lobes. Hence, feather flower. The last time the population was surveyed was in 2008 and then, only 16 mature plants were identified.
Frequent fire regimes threaten the last Hay River Featherflower plants particularly when any new plants have not yet produced seeds. Dieback (Phytophthora cinnamomi) is also suspected to be present at the site of the only known population.
Photo: WA Department of Environment and Conservation