Boronia bella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boronia bella |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Boronia
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| Species: |
bella
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Boronia bella is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family called Rutaceae. It is found only in one specific mountain range near Many Peaks in Queensland, Australia. This plant is a shrub that stands upright, has many branches, simple leaves, and pretty flowers with four petals.
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What Does Boronia bella Look Like?
Boronia bella is an upright shrub that can grow up to about 2 meters (6.5 feet) tall. Its young branches are covered with tiny, white, star-shaped hairs, which makes them look interesting.
The leaves of this plant are oval-shaped. They are usually between 18 to 35 millimeters (about 0.7 to 1.4 inches) long and 3.5 to 10 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.4 inches) wide. Each leaf has a small stalk called a petiole, which is about 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) long.
The flowers usually grow one by one, but sometimes you might see up to three flowers together on a short stalk. Each flower has four sepals (these are like small leaves that protect the bud) and four petals. The sepals are about 4.5 to 5.5 millimeters long, and the petals are about 7 to 8 millimeters long. As the fruit starts to grow, the petals get even bigger, up to 12 millimeters long!
Inside the flower, there are eight stamens (these are the parts that produce pollen). They are hairy and come in different lengths. Boronia bella flowers bloom from May to September. After flowering, the plant produces small fruits that are about 4.5 to 6 millimeters long.
How Was Boronia bella Named?
The plant Boronia bella was officially described for the first time in 1999. This was done by a scientist named Marco F. Duretto. His description was published in a science journal called Austrobaileya.
The second part of its scientific name, bella, comes from a Latin word. It means "pretty," "lovely," or "fine." This name perfectly describes the plant's beautiful flowers!
Where Does Boronia bella Live?
This type of boronia plant grows in woodlands and forests. However, it is only found in one specific place: the Many Peaks Range in Queensland, Australia. It prefers to grow in soils that come from granite rocks.
Is Boronia bella Safe?
Good news! Boronia bella is not in danger. The Queensland Government has classified it as "least concern" under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means that there are plenty of these plants around, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
