Mount Imlay boronia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Imlay boronia |
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| Mount Imlay Boronia, at Mount Imlay | |
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium |
The Boronia imlayensis, commonly called the Mount Imlay boronia, is a special kind of shrub. It has only ever been found in one small area in Australia. This rare plant grows on a sandstone ridge near the top of Mount Imlay. Mount Imlay is located in southern New South Wales. It is a small shrub, usually less than 1 meter (3 feet) tall. It has pretty pink to white flowers. You can find it growing in eucalypt woodlands.
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What the Mount Imlay Boronia Looks Like
The Mount Imlay boronia grows as a small shrub. It can reach up to 1 meter (3 feet) in height. Its stems are hairy and have small bumps. The leaves are pinnate, which means they are made up of smaller leaflets, like a feather. Each leaf has seven to eleven small leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like a diamond. They are about 3.5 to 16 millimeters long and 1 to 4 millimeters wide.
The plant flowers in late spring and early summer. This is usually from September to December. Its flowers grow in small groups of three to nine. The flowers can be white or a dark pink color. Each flower has four petals. These petals are about 5 to 7.5 millimeters long.
How the Mount Imlay Boronia Got its Name
A botanist named Marco Duretto first officially described Boronia imlayensis in 2003. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. He wrote about it in a science journal called Muelleria. He had collected samples of the plant in 1995 from a ridge on Mount Imlay. The plant's specific name, imlayensis, comes from the place where it was found, Mount Imlay.
The Mount Imlay boronia belongs to the larger Boronia plant family. It is part of a group of 25 Boronia species. These species have pinnate leaves and are found in southeastern Australia. Many of them only grow in small areas, just like the Mount Imlay boronia. Some of its relatives include the lemon-scented boronia and Gunn's boronia.
Where the Mount Imlay Boronia Lives
This special plant is found only in one place in the world. It grows in eucalypt woodlands on a ridge. This ridge is located at the very top of Mount Imlay. Mount Imlay is inside Mount Imlay National Park. It is near the town of Eden in southern New South Wales, Australia.
The area where it grows is very small. It is only about 500 meters long and 50 meters wide. Because it is found in such a tiny area, it is considered a rare plant. However, as of 2010, it did not have an official protected status.
Growing This Plant
The Mount Imlay boronia is not grown by people in gardens or nurseries. Most boronia plants are quite sensitive. They can be easily affected by plant diseases like dieback. This means they often do not live for a very long time when grown outside their natural habitat.
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Mount Imlay Boronia
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Many flowers in early November
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Leaves and a fruiting capsule
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A close-up of a flower
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Most boronia flowers have four petals. This is a five-petaled flower of Boronia imlayensis.
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Flowers just opening in early September
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Flowers just opening in early September
See also
In Spanish: Boronia imlayensis para niños
