Island boronia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Island boronia |
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| Boronia edwardsii near Rocky River on Kangaroo Island | |
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium |
The Boronia edwardsii, also known as island boronia, is a special plant. It belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. This plant is endemic to South Australia, which means it naturally grows only there. It's a small, upright shrub with leaves made of three parts. Its pretty flowers are usually pink or white. Each flower has four petals and eight stamens. You can find it commonly on Kangaroo Island, but it's quite rare on the mainland.
Contents
Meet the Island Boronia
What Does This Plant Look Like?
The island boronia is an upright shrub with many branches. It usually grows to be about 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 39 inches) tall. Its branches are covered with soft, fuzzy hairs. The leaves are interesting because each one has three small leaflets. This is why they are called trifoliate leaves. The stem connecting the leaflets is very short, only about 1.5 to 2 millimeters long.
The top side of the leaves is a bit hairy. The bottom side is a lighter green color. Each leaflet is shaped like a spear, wider at the base and narrowing towards the tip. They are usually 2.5 to 8 millimeters long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. The middle leaflet is often a little longer and wider than the other two.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of the island boronia grow either by themselves or in small groups of three. You can find them where the leaves meet the stem, or at the very ends of the branches. The petals are mostly pink, but sometimes they can be white. They are about 5 to 8 millimeters long and 2 to 4 millimeters wide. The underside of the petals is usually hairy. Each flower has eight club-shaped stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen.
This plant usually blooms from August to October. After the flowers, the fruit starts to grow. The fruit matures between September and January.
How the Island Boronia Got Its Name
Discovering and Naming the Plant
The Boronia edwardsii was first officially described in 1863. A famous botanist named George Bentham gave it its formal description. He studied a plant sample collected by someone named "Edwards" near Mount Barker. Bentham published his description in a book called Flora Australiensis. He mentioned that he had only seen one sample of this plant at the time.
Where Does the Island Boronia Grow?
Its Home and Habitat
The island boronia is very common on Kangaroo Island. It is well protected in places like Flinders Chase National Park and other conservation parks on the island. This helps make sure the plant can continue to grow and thrive.
You can also find this boronia on the Fleurieu Peninsula on the mainland of South Australia. However, it is much rarer there compared to Kangaroo Island.
