Darwinia polychroma Keighery
Darwinia polychroma (Harlequin Bell) is a tidy, compact shrub growing to 1.2 m high and featuring a pendulous inflorescence surrounded by shiny, multi-coloured bracts in several overlapping rows. The basal bracts are red with a green tip, while the second layer and inner bracts have a yellow base and grade to yellow-green then red. Together they form a stunning bell-like inflorescence. Flowering occurs in winter and spring, July to September, with a few flowers extending to November.
The species epithet is Greek in origin and means many colours: a reference to the bright multi-hued inflorescence bracts. Poly = many and chromus = colours.
Harlequin Bell is endemic and one of 16 endangered Darwinia species in WA. It is only found in a small area between Perenjori and Carnamah in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, where it grows in sandy soils.
Photo: R. Davis