Boronia gracilipes explained

Boronia gracilipes, commonly known as karri boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with compound leaves and pink, four-petalled flowers.

Description

Boronia gracilipes is an erect, spindly shrub that usually grows to a height of NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 tall, its stems covered with long, soft hairs. It has flat, compound leaves less than 10sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, usually with five or seven lance-shaped to oblong leaflets. The flowers are pink and arranged singly in leaf axils on a pedicel NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. The four sepals are triangular to almost round and overlap at their bases. The petals are about 8sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and glabrous with their bases overlapping. The stigma is large and oval, almost without a style. Flowering occurs mainly from July to December.[1] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia gracilipes was first formally described in 1860 by Ferdinand von Mueller and the description was published in Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae.[3] [4] The specific epithet (gracilipes) is derived from the Latin words gracilis meaning "slender"[5] and pes meaning "foot".

Distribution and habitat

Karri boronia grows in shady places in gullies and granite outcrops in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Warren biogeographic regions of Western Australia.

Conservation

Boronia gracilipes is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Bentham . George . von Mueller . Ferdinand . Flora Australiensis (Volume 1) . 1863 . Lovell Reeve and Co. . London . 318 . 2 February 2019.
  2. Web site: Species of Boronia . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 2 February 2019.
  3. Web site: Boronia gracilipes. APNI. 2 February 2019.
  4. Book: von Mueller . Ferdinand . Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae (Volume 2) . 1860 . Victorian Government Printer . Melbourne . 99 . 2 February 2019.
  5. Book: Brown. Roland Wilbur. The Composition of Scientific Words. 1956. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C..