Fraser's boronia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fraser's boronia |
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| Fraser's boronia at Glenbrook Native Plant Reserve, Australia | |
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium |
The Fraser's boronia (scientific name: Boronia fraseri) is a beautiful plant that belongs to the citrus family. You can find it growing near Sydney in Australia. This plant is a shrub that stands tall with many branches. It has special leaves that look like feathers, and its pretty pink flowers grow in small groups where the leaves meet the stem.
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What Does It Look Like?
Fraser's boronia is an upright shrub with many branches. It can grow to be about 2 meters (or 6.5 feet) tall. Its branches have four sides and are mostly smooth, without much hair.
Its leaves are quite unique. They are called pinnate leaves, which means they have smaller leaflets arranged along a central stem, like a feather. These leaves are usually between 40 to 125 millimeters (about 1.5 to 5 inches) long and 35 to 70 millimeters (about 1.4 to 2.7 inches) wide. Each leaf has a stalk, called a petiole, that is 8 to 30 millimeters (about 0.3 to 1.2 inches) long.
- Each leaf has three to seven oval-shaped leaflets.
- The leaflet at the very end is the longest, about 25 to 63 millimeters (1 to 2.5 inches) long.
- The leaflets on the sides are a bit shorter, around 14 to 40 millimeters (0.5 to 1.5 inches) long.
The flowers of Fraser's boronia are pink and grow in groups of three to seven. Each group sits on a small stalk that is 3 to 15 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.6 inches) long.
- The flowers have four sepals, which are like small, leaf-like parts that protect the bud. These are egg-shaped or triangular, and they are quite hairy on the outside.
- There are also four petals, which are the colorful parts of the flower. They are 6 to 10 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.4 inches) long and hairy on the back.
- Inside the flower, there are eight stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. They are different lengths.
You can usually see Fraser's boronia flowering from July to October. After the flowers, small fruits appear, which are about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) long.
Naming the Plant
The plant Boronia fraseri was first officially described in 1843 by a famous botanist named William Jackson Hooker. He wrote about it in a well-known magazine called The Botanical Magazine.
The second part of its scientific name, fraseri, was chosen to honor Charles Fraser. He was the very first superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, which is a famous garden in Australia.
Where It Lives
Unlike many other Boronia plants, Fraser's boronia likes to grow in damp areas. You can often find it in moist gullies (small valleys) and rainforests. It prefers soils that come from sandstone.
This plant is mostly found in the Sydney area of Australia. However, you can also spot it in the Blue Mountains, which are west of Sydney.
Protecting Fraser's Boronia
Fraser's boronia is considered a rare plant. This means there are not many of them left in the wild. It has a special rating, 2RCa, which helps experts know how rare it is and how much protection it needs. Efforts are made to help this unique plant survive and thrive.
Growing It in Gardens
If you want to grow Fraser's boronia in a garden, it's best to plant it in soil that drains water well. It also likes a spot that gets some shade, not full sun all day.
There's even a special type of boronia called Boronia "Telopea Valley Star." This plant is a mix, or hybrid, of Fraser's boronia and another plant called Boronia mollis. This hybrid is stronger and easier to grow in Australian gardens.
