Theda boronia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Theda boronia |
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The Boronia thedae, also known as the Theda boronia, 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. When it's young, it stands up straight like a small bush. But as it gets older, it spreads out low to the ground with many branches. Its leaves are shaped like feathers, and its flowers have four white, cream, or light pink parts called sepals and four similar-colored petals. The sepals are actually longer and wider than the petals!
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What Does Theda Boronia Look Like?
When it's young, the Theda boronia is a hairy shrub that stands tall. As it gets older, it becomes a spreading or low-growing shrub with many branches. It can grow up to about 50 cm (20 in) (about 20 inches) high and 150 cm (59 in) (about 5 feet) wide.
Its leaves grow in pairs opposite each other. They are "pinnate," which means they look like a feather with smaller leaflets coming off a main stem. Each leaf is about 12–29 mm (0.47–1.14 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) wide. Most leaves have five to fifteen small leaflets. The leaflet at the very end is 4–9 mm (0.16–0.35 in) long, and the ones on the sides are a bit shorter.
The flowers usually grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. They sit on a stalk that is 5–21 mm (0.20–0.83 in) long. The four sepals (which protect the flower bud) are white, cream, or light pink. They are narrow and shaped like a triangle or an egg, about 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long. They are hairy on the back and are bigger than the petals. The four petals are similar in color but have a dark pink base. They are about 3–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long and are a bit hairy on both sides. The flower also has eight stamens (the parts that make pollen), which are hairy. Some stamens have a much larger pollen-making part (called an anther) than others.
How Did Theda Boronia Get Its Name?
The Theda boronia was first officially described in 2015. Three scientists, Russell Barrett, Matthew Barrett, and Marco Duretto, gave it its formal scientific name, Boronia thedae. They published their description in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The plant was named after the place where the first sample was found: Theda Station. This station is in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Theda Station itself was named after the wife of the person who started the station.
Where Does Theda Boronia Live?
The Theda boronia is a very rare plant! It is only found in a small area. You can find it around Theda Station and stretching towards the Drysdale River National Park. It likes to grow in woodlands, often nestled among sandstone boulders.
Protecting Theda Boronia
Because the Theda boronia is so rare, it has a special protection status. The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife calls it "Priority One" flora. This means that the plant is only known to exist in one or a few places, and these places might be at risk. This classification helps protect the plant and its habitat, so it doesn't disappear.
