Boronia odorata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boronia odorata |
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| Boronia odorata in the Carnarvon National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Boronia
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| Species: |
odorata
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Boronia odorata is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. You can only find it in the central highlands of Queensland, Australia. It's a tall, bushy plant with lots of branches. It has simple leaves and pretty pink or white flowers with four petals.
Contents
What it Looks Like
Boronia odorata is a tall, bushy plant with many branches. It can grow up to 2.0 m (7 ft) high. Its young branches are covered in white to reddish-brown hairs.
Older plants have simple leaves. But young plants have leaves that are trifoliate, meaning they have three leaflets. The main leaves and young leaflets are shaped like an oval. They are 12–40 mm (0.5–2 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The side leaflets are a bit shorter and narrower.
The leaves have a special stem called a petiole that is 1–8 mm (0.04–0.3 in) long. This stem has a wing-like shape.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers are pink to white. Up to three flowers grow together where a leaf meets the stem, which is called a leaf axil. Each flower sits on a hairy stalk that is 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long.
The flowers have four sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals are egg-shaped to triangular. They are 2–4.5 mm (0.079–0.18 in) long and 1–2.5 mm (0.039–0.098 in) wide and feel hairy.
The four petals are 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. They get bigger as the fruit starts to grow. Each flower also has eight stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. These stamens are different lengths, sizes, and shapes.
Boronia odorata flowers bloom from February to October. After flowering, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and 3–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) wide.
Plant Names
How it Got its Name
The plant Boronia odorata was officially described 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 name, odorata, is a Latin word. It means "having a smell" or "fragrant." This name was chosen because if you crush the leaves, they smell like tar or coffee!
Where it Grows
This type of boronia plant grows in woodlands. It prefers to grow on sandstone soil. You can find it in the central highlands of Queensland, Australia. This area is located between the towns of Springsure, Theodore, Surat, Mitchell, and Tambo.
Protecting the Plant
The Queensland Government has a law called the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under this law, Boronia odorata is listed as "least concern." This means that the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing. It is considered to be safe and widespread.
