Regent River boronia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Regent River boronia |
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The Regent River boronia (its scientific name is Boronia interrex) is a special plant. It belongs to the citrus family, just like oranges and lemons! This plant only grows in a small part of the Kimberley region in Western Australia. It is a shrub that can stand tall or sometimes grow low to the ground. It has unique leaves that look like feathers. Its flowers have cream or pale pink parts called sepals, and pretty pink petals. The sepals are bigger than the petals.
What Does It Look Like?
The Regent River boronia is a shrub that can grow up to about 80 centimeters (31 inches) tall. It can also spread out to about 150 centimeters (59 inches) wide. Its leaves are "pinnate," which means they have smaller leaflets arranged along a central stem, like a feather. These leaves are usually between 10 and 37 millimeters (0.4 to 1.5 inches) long. They are also 8 to 16 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) wide.
Each leaf usually has five to eleven small leaflets. The leaflet at the very end is about 6 to 11.5 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long. It is also 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. The leaflets on the sides are a bit shorter.
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. This spot is called a leaf axil. Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel, which can be up to 5.5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long.
The flower has four parts called sepals. These sepals are a bit hairy and are cream-colored or pale pink. They are shaped like a narrow egg. They are about 3.5 to 5.5 millimeters (0.14 to 0.22 inches) long and 1 to 1.5 millimeters (0.04 to 0.06 inches) wide. These sepals are longer and wider than the petals.
There are also four petals on the flower. They are light pink with a darker color at their base. The petals are 2.5 to 4 millimeters (0.10 to 0.16 inches) long and 0.5 to 1 millimeter (0.02 to 0.04 inches) wide. They are also a bit hairy. Inside the flower, there are eight stamens. Stamens are the parts that produce pollen. These stamens are hairy too. The ones closer to the petals are slightly longer than those closer to the sepals.
How It Got Its Name
The Regent River boronia was first officially described in 2015. Three scientists, Russell Barrett, Matthew Barrett, and Marco Duretto, gave it its scientific name. They published their description in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The plant was found in the Prince Regent National Park. Its scientific name, interrex, comes from a Latin word. It means "a regent" or "temporary king." This name was chosen because of where the first plant sample (called the type location) was found.
Where Does It Live?
The Regent River boronia is very rare. It has only been found in one specific place. This place is a sandstone mesa (a flat-topped hill) inside the Prince Regent National Park.
In this area, it grows alongside other small shrubs. These include plants from groups like Acacia, Grevillea, and Triodia.
Why Is It Special?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given the Regent River boronia a special classification. It is called "Priority Two".
This means that not much is known about this plant. It has only been found in one or a few places. Because it is so rare and not well-known, it needs special attention to help protect it.
