Boronia filicifolia explained

Boronia filicifolia is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the far north-west of Australia. It is an erect or sprawling shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves with up to 55 leaflets and white to pink flowers with the sepals a similar length to the petals.

Description

Boronia filicifolia is an erect or sprawling shrub that grows to a height of 50sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 with pinnate leaves that are mostly NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide in outline with mostly between thirty and fifty five leaflets. The end leaflet is lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and the side leaflets are longer, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to three in leaf axils. The four sepals and the four petals are white to pink and a similar length to each other, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, the sepals NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide and the petals slightly narrower. The eight stamens are hairy. Flowering occurs from January to June and the fruit is a glabrous capsule about 5sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide.[1] [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia filicifolia was first formally described in 1863 by George Bentham from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham and the description was published in Flora Australiensis from a specimen collected by Cunningham near York Sound.[4] [5] The specific epithet (filicifolia) is derived from the Latin filix, filicis meaning "a fern" and -folius meaning "leaved",[6] [7] referring to the fern-like leaves.

Distribution and habitat

Boronia filicifolia is a poorly-known plant that grows in heath and open woodland on sandstone and quartzite and occurs in the catchment of the Mitchell River and in the Port Warrender area of the western Kimberley region.

Conservation

Boronia filicifolia is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Duretto . Marco F. . Systematics of Boronia section Valvatae sensu lato (Rutaceae) . Muelleria . 1999 . 12 . 1 . 113–114 . 12 March 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: Duretto . Marco F. . Wilson . Paul G. . Ladiges . Pauline Y. . Boronia filicifolia . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra . 12 March 2019.
  3. Duretto . Marco F. . Taxonomic notes on Boronia species of north-western Australia . Nuytsia . 1997 . 11 . 3 . 332–334 . 12 March 2019.
  4. Web site: Boronia filicifolia. APNI. 12 March 2019.
  5. Book: Bentham . George . von Mueller . Ferdinand . Flora Australiensis . 1863 . Lovell Reeve and Co. . London . 311 . 12 March 2019.
  6. Book: Francis Aubie Sharr. Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings . 2019 . Four Gables Press . Kardinya, Western Australia . 9780958034180 . 198.
  7. Book: . Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary . 1992 . Timber Press . Portland, Oregon . 4th. 412.
  8. Web site: Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna. Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. 12 March 2019.