Boronia subsessilis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boronia subsessilis |
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium |
Boronia subsessilis is a special kind of plant. It belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. This plant grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's a small, woody bush that doesn't have much hair on it. Its leaves are simple, and its flowers have four petals. These petals are white on the front and green or blue on the back.
What is Boronia subsessilis?
Boronia subsessilis is a woody bush. It usually grows to be about 10 to 40 centimeters (4 to 16 inches) tall. This plant is mostly smooth, meaning it doesn't have hairs, except for its stamens.
Its leaves are simple and don't have a stalk. They are narrow and shaped like a cylinder, about 10 to 25 millimeters long.
The flowers grow one by one or in pairs. They appear where the leaf meets the stem, which is called a leaf axil. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk, or pedicel, about 1 to 3 millimeters long.
The flower has four thick, egg-shaped parts called sepals. These are about 2 millimeters long. It also has four petals that are egg-shaped and about 6 millimeters long. The front of the petals is white, and the back is green or blue.
Inside the flower, there are eight stamens. These are flat and have hairs on them. The part of the stamen that holds pollen, called the anther, has a small, egg-shaped extra piece. Boronia subsessilis flowers bloom from May to September.
How it Got its Name
The plant Boronia subsessilis was first officially described in 1863. This was done by a scientist named George Bentham. He studied a plant sample collected by James Drummond.
The description was published in a book called Flora Australiensis. The second part of its scientific name, subsessilis, comes from Latin words. Sessilis means "sitting," and "sub-" means "somewhat" or "less than." This refers to its leaves, which don't have a stalk and seem to sit directly on the stem.
Where Does It Grow?
This type of boronia plant likes to grow on rocky hills. It also grows in sandy areas. You can find it in Western Australia, in places between Toodyay, Denmark, and Ravensthorpe.
Is It Safe?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Boronia subsessilis. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing.
