Boronia montimulliganensis facts for kids

Boronia montimulliganensis is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. It grows only in one specific place: a single mountain in Queensland, Australia. This plant is a tall, woody bush with leaves that have many small parts. It has pretty white flowers with four petals. These flowers usually grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem.

What is Boronia montimulliganensis?

Boronia montimulliganensis is a type of bush that stands upright. It can grow to be at least 35 centimeters (about 14 inches) tall. Its branches are a little bit hairy and have small, bumpy spots.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are quite interesting. They are made up of three to seven smaller leaflets. These leaves are about 2 to 4 centimeters (0.8 to 1.6 inches) long and 3 to 3.4 centimeters (1.2 to 1.3 inches) wide. The stem that holds the leaf is about 7 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long.

The leaflet at the very end is thin and long, about 5 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) long and 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide. It looks the same color on both sides. The leaflets on the sides are similar but a bit longer.

The flowers are white and usually grow one at a time. Sometimes, you might see up to three flowers growing together. They grow on a tiny stem about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) long.

Flower Parts

Each flower has four round sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the bud. These sepals are about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) long and wide and are smooth. The four white petals are about 2 to 2.5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.1 inches) long and also smooth. Inside the flower, there are eight stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen, and they are hairy.

You can usually see this plant flowering in April and June. After the flowers, the plant produces a smooth fruit called a capsule. This capsule is about 3.5 millimeters (0.14 inches) long and 1.75 millimeters (0.07 inches) wide.

Where Does It Live?

This special boronia plant grows in woodlands. It prefers to grow on sandstone, which is a type of rock. You can only find it on Mount Mulligan in northern Queensland. This makes it a very unique plant because it doesn't grow anywhere else in the world!

Discovery and Name

The Boronia montimulliganensis plant was officially described for the first time in 2003. It was named by a scientist named Marco F. Duretto. He wrote about it in a science journal called Muelleria.

The plant's name, montimulliganensis, tells us where it comes from. "Monti" means mountain, and "Mulliganensis" refers to Mount Mulligan. So, its name literally means "from Mount Mulligan."

Is It Safe?

The Queensland Government has a list of plants and animals to keep track of their safety. Boronia montimulliganensis is listed as "least concern" under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means that, for now, scientists are not worried about it disappearing.