Boronia anomala facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boronia anomala |
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Boronia anomala is a special plant. It belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. This plant is very rare. It's only found in one small area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It grows under a rocky overhang in a sandstone gorge. This shrub is usually smooth and has leaves made of smaller parts. Its flowers have four petals.
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What Does Boronia anomala Look Like?
Boronia anomala is a shrub that can grow up to 60 cm (20 in) tall and wide. Its stems and leaves are mostly smooth, meaning they have no hairs. The leaves are pinnate. This means they look like a feather, with smaller leaf parts called leaflets. Each leaf has three or five leaflets. The whole leaf is about 40–55 mm (1.6–2.2 in) long and 35–100 mm (1.4–3.9 in) wide. The stem that holds the leaf is called a petiole and is about 8–14 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long. The individual leaflets are 17–50 mm (0.7–2 in) long and very narrow, about 0.5–1.0 mm (0.02–0.04 in) wide.
The flowers usually grow alone or in small groups of up to three. They appear where the leaf meets the stem, which is called the axil. Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel, about 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The flower has four small, triangular sepals. These are like tiny leaves that protect the bud. They are about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The four petals are the colorful parts of the flower. They are 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long and have tiny hairs along their edges. After the flower blooms, it forms a fruit. This fruit is a capsule, which is a dry seed pod. It is about 4.5–5 mm (0.18–0.20 in) long and 2–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) wide.
How Was Boronia anomala Named?
The plant Boronia anomala was officially described in 1999. A scientist named Marco Duretto gave it its name. He published his description in a science journal called Muelleria. The plant he studied was found near Kalumburu.
The second part of its name, anomala, comes from a Latin word. Anomalus means "different from normal" or "unusual". This name was chosen because this boronia plant has some features that are different from other boronia plants found in the Kimberley region.
Where Does Boronia anomala Live?
This special boronia plant is only known from one place. This place is called its type location. It grows under a rocky overhang in a sandstone gorge. A gorge is a narrow valley with steep rocky sides.
Why Is Boronia anomala Important to Protect?
Boronia anomala is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia. This means it's a very important plant to protect. It is only found in one or a few places. These places could be at risk from changes in the environment. Protecting these rare plants helps keep our planet's amazing variety of life safe.
