Boronia decumbens explained

Boronia decumbens is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to northern parts of the Northern Territory. It is a low, spreading shrub with pinnate leaves and white to pink flowers with the four sepals larger than the four petals.

Description

Boronia decumbens is a low, spreading (decumbent) shrub that grows to 10sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 high and 40sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Its branches and leaves and some flower parts are moderately hairy. The leaves are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide in outline with five or seven linear to narrow elliptic leaflets. The end leaflet is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and the side leaflets are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The flowers are sessile and arranged singly in leaf axils. The flowers are white to pink, the sepals larger than the petals. The four sepals are triangular, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide but increase in size as the fruit develops. The four petals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. Flowering occurs from November to August.[1]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia decumbens was first formally described in 1997 by Marco Duretto who published the description in Nuytsia.[2] [3] The specific epithet (decumbens) is a Latin word meaning "lying down" or "reclining",[4] referring to the usual habit of this species.

Distribution and habitat

This boronia grows in woodland in Kakadu National Park north of the Mary River and the Waterfall Creek turnoff.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Duretto . Marco . Systematics of Boronia section Valvatae sensu lato (Rutaceae) . Muelleria . 1999 . 12 . 1 . 108 . 2 February 2019 . 6 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200406125654/https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/documents/Pages_from_Muelleria_12(1),_p87-131,_Duretto,_Sytematics_Boronia-3.pdf . dead .
  2. Web site: Boronia decumbens. APNI. 4 March 2019.
  3. Duretto . Marco F. . Taxonomic notes on Boronia species of north-western Australia, including a revision of the Boronia lanuginosa group (Boronia section Valvatae: Rutaceae . Nuytsia . 1997 . 11 . 3 . 323–326 . 4 March 2019.
  4. Book: Brown. Roland Wilbur. The Composition of Scientific Words. 1956. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C.. 255.
  5. Web site: Boronia decumbens . Northern Territory Government; Flora NT . 4 March 2019.