Boronia barkeriana explained

Boronia barkeriana, commonly known as Barker's boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with ground-hugging branches, simple, toothed leaves and bright pink, four-petalled flowers.

Description

Boronia barkeriana is a shrub with ground-hugging branches and which grows to a height of NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 with glabrous, often reddish stems. It has simple, narrow lance-shaped to narrow egg-shaped leaves NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide, usually without a petiole. The leaves have small teeth on the edge and are often reddish along the edges and undersides. Between two and eight bright pink to pinkish mauve flowers are arranged in groups in the leaf axils, each flower on a pedicel NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The four sepals are purple, triangular to egg-shaped, about NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The four petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long with their bases overlapping. The eight stamens have hairy edges. Flowering occurs mainly from September to December and the fruit are glabrous, about 4sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and 2sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia barkeriana was first formally described in 1880 by Ferdinand von Mueller and the description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae from a specimen collected by "Mrs. C.A. Barker" near Mount Wilson.^{[4] [5]}

There are three subspecies:

• Boronia barkeriana subsp. angustifolia Duretto has egg-shaped sepals more than 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide
• Boronia barkeriana F.Muell.subsp. barkeriana has triangular sepals NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide
• Boronia barkeriana subsp. gymnopetala Duretto has triangular sepals NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide

Distribution and habitat

This boronia grows in moist places on sandstone.

• Subspecies angustifolia mainly grows in Morton and Budderoo National Parks ^[6]
• Subspecies barkeriana grows on the coast and ranges near Braidwood.^[7]
• Subspecies gymnopetala is only known from the area between Port Jackson and Waterfall but has not been collected since 1923 and is presumed extinct.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Weston . Peter H. . Duretto . Marco F. . Boronia barkeriana . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 26 January 2019.
2. Duretto . Marco F. . Notes on Boronia (Rutaceae) in eastern and northern Australia . Muelleria . 1999 . 17 . 58–62 . 26 January 2019 . 6 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200406123353/https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/documents/Muelleria_17,_p19-135,_Duretto,_Notes_on_Boronia.pdf . dead .
3. Web site: In flower this week (3 November, 2005) . Australian National Botanic Gardens . 26 January 2019.
4. Web site: Boronia barkeriana. APNI. 26 January 2019.
5. Book: von Mueller . Ferdinand . Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae (Volume 11) . 1880 . Victorian Government Printer . Melbourne . 96–97 . 26 January 2019.
6. Web site: Weston . Peter H. . Duretto . Marco F. . Boronia barkeriana . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 26 January 2019.
7. Web site: Weston . Peter H. . Duretto . Marco F. . Boronia barkeriana . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 26 January 2019.
8. Web site: Weston . Peter H. . Duretto . Marco F. . Boronia barkeriana . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 26 January 2019.