Boronia minutipinna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boronia kalumburuensis |
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Boronia minutipinna is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. You can only find it in a small part of the Kimberley region in Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.
It's a shrub that stands upright and has lots of branches. Its stems and leaves are a bit hairy. The leaves are "pinnate," meaning they have many small leaflets arranged like a feather. When it blooms, it has white to pink flowers with four petals. Interestingly, the green leaf-like parts under the petals, called sepals, are bigger than the petals themselves!
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What Does Boronia minutipinna Look Like?
Boronia minutipinna is an upright shrub with many branches. It can grow up to about 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall. Its branches and leaves are covered with tiny, star-shaped hairs.
The leaves of this plant are quite interesting. Each leaf has between 17 and 35 tiny leaflets. The whole leaf can be from 5 to 34 millimeters (0.2 to 1.3 inches) long and 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) wide.
The leaflet at the very end of the leaf is shaped like an oval. It is usually 1 to 2 millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 inches) long and 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters (0.02 to 0.06 inches) wide. The leaflets on the sides are shaped like a rhombus, which is a bit like a diamond. These side leaflets are about 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters (0.02 to 0.06 inches) long and wide.
The flowers of Boronia minutipinna are white to pink. They grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has four sepals, which are like small, green leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals are shaped like triangles and are 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) long and 1.5 to 2 millimeters (0.06 to 0.08 inches) wide.
The four petals are smaller than the sepals. They are about 2.5 to 3 millimeters (0.1 to 0.12 inches) long and 1.5 to 2 millimeters (0.06 to 0.08 inches) wide. As the plant's fruit starts to grow, both the sepals and petals get bigger. So far, people have only seen this plant flowering in July.
How Was Boronia minutipinna Named?
The plant Boronia minutipinna was officially described for the first time in 1997. This was done by a scientist named Marco F. Duretto. He studied a sample of the plant that was found on the Osmond Plateau.
The description was then published in a scientific journal called Nuytsia. The second part of its scientific name, minutipinna, comes from two Latin words. Minutas means "small," and pinnae means "wings." This name refers to the plant's very small leaflets, which look a bit like tiny wings.
Where Does Boronia minutipinna Live?
Boronia minutipinna is a very rare plant. It is only known to grow in one specific place: the Osmond Plateau. This plateau is located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
It likes to grow in sandy soil, often found between large rocks or boulders. This specific habitat is part of what makes it so unique and special.
Why Is Boronia minutipinna Important to Protect?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants like Boronia minutipinna. They have classified this boronia as "Priority Two".
This classification means that the plant is not very well known. It has only been found in one or a very few locations. Because it's so rare and found in such a small area, it needs special attention to make sure it stays safe and doesn't disappear.
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