Boronia citriodora

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Lemon-scented boronia
Boronia citriodora foliage and flowers.jpg
Boronia citriodora on Needle Rock
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Boronia
Species:
B. citriodora
Binomial name
Boronia citriodora
Boronia citriodora DistMap22.png
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium

Boronia citriodora, commonly known as lemon-scented boronia, [2] lemon plant or lemon thyme, [3] [4] is a woody shrub that is endemic to Tasmania. It has pinnate leaves and white to pink flowers that are arranged singly or in groups of up to seven, in the leaf axils or on the ends of the branches.

Contents

habit in a subalpine sclerophyll woodland Boronia citriodora 1.jpg
habit in a subalpine sclerophyll woodland

Description

Boronia citriodora is a woody shrub that is sometimes prostrate, otherwise erect and growing to a height of 3 m (9.8 ft). It has pinnate leaves that are 7–25 mm (0.28–0.98 in) long and 7–30 mm (0.28–1.2 in) wide in outline with between three and nine leaflets, on a petiole 1.5–6 mm (0.059–0.24 in) long. The end leaflet is narrow elliptic to narrow lance-shaped, 3.5–15 mm (0.14–0.59 in) long and 0.5–4 mm (0.020–0.16 in) wide. The side leaflets are similar but longer. The flowers are white to pink and are arranged singly or in groups of up to seven in leaf axils or on the ends of branches on a stalk 1–8 mm (0.039–0.31 in) long. The four sepals are triangular, 0.5–2.5 mm (0.02–0.1 in) long and wide. The four petals are 3.5–8.5 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long and the eight stamens have a few short hairs. Flowering occurs from November to February and the mature fruit are smooth, 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long and 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) wide. [5] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia citriodora was first formally described in 1855 by Joseph Dalton Hooker from an unpublished description by Ronald Campbell Gunn and the description was published in The botany of the Antarctic voyage of H.M. Discovery ships Erebus and Terror . [6] [7] The name is derived from the characteristic lemon scent of the foliage. Hooker noted that the plant has a "strong and delicious smell of lemons" and that the species was called the 'lemon-plant' by early Tasmanian colonists. [5] [7]

In 2003, Marco Duretto described three subspecies: [5]

Distribution and habitat

Lemon-scented boronia grows in heath, woodland and near rainforest, often in rocky places. [5]

Use in horticulture

Boronia citriodora is cultivated as an ornamental plant for use in gardens. It tolerates sun, shade, wind, heavy frost; and dry, sandy or waterlogged soils. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Boronia pinnata</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia pinnata is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae, and is endemic to New South Wales. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate leaves and groups of between three and forty pink flowers arranged in leaf axils. It flowers in spring and early summer and is found in coastal areas between Ballina and Jervis Bay.

<i>Boronia muelleri</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia muelleri, commonly known as the forest boronia or pink boronia, is a flowering plant that occurs in forest, woodland and heath in Victoria and New South Wales in Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub or small tree with pinnate leaves and up to fifteen pink to white four-petalled flowers arranged in leaf axils in spring and summer.

<i>Boronia fraseri</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia fraseri, commonly known as Fraser's boronia, is a plant in the citrus family occurring near Sydney in Australia. It is an erect, multi-branched shrub with pinnate leaves and pink flowers arranged in small groups in the leaf axils.

<i>Boronia safrolifera</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia safrolifera, commonly known as safrole boronia, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate leaves that have up to nineteen leaflets, and white to pink, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Cyanothamnus anemonifolius</i> Species of flowering plant

Cyanothamnus anemonifolius, commonly known as narrow-leaved boronia or sticky boronia, is a flowering plant that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with mostly pinnate leaves, with white to pale pink four-petalled flowers in leaf axils.

<i>Cyanothamnus coerulescens</i> Species of plant

Cyanothamnus coerulescens, commonly known as blue boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a small, spindly shrub with glandular stems, small, more or less cylindrical leaves and blue to pinkish mauve, four-petalled flowers. There are two subspecies endemic to Western Australia and a third that also occurs in three eastern states.

<i>Boronia gunnii</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia gunnii, commonly known as Gunn's boronia or Cataract Gorge boronia is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an erect shrub with compound leaves and pink or white, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Boronia pilosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia pilosa, commonly known as the hairy boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub with hairy branches, pinnate, sometimes hairy leaves and groups of up to ten white to pink, four petalled flowers.

<i>Boronia purdieana</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia purdieana is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves and yellow, four-petalled flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Boronia umbellata</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia umbellata, commonly known as the Orara boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area on the north coast of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with many branches, aromatic, pinnate leaves and clusters of up to ten dark pink flowers in the leaf axils.

<i>Boronia warrumbunglensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia warrumbunglensis is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the central west of New South Wales. It is a shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves and one or two pink, four-petalled flowers in the leaf axils. It is only known from the Warrumbungles and nearby districts.

Boronia citrata, commonly known as lemon boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate, strongly lemon-scented leaves and pale pink to rosy pink, four-petalled flowers arranged in groups of up to five.

<i>Boronia elisabethiae</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia elisabethiae is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a semi-erect or weakly spreading, woody shrub with pinnate leaves and white to pink, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Boronia filicifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia filicifolia is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the far north-west of Australia. It is an erect or sprawling shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves with up to 55 leaflets and white to pink flowers with the sepals a similar length to the petals.

<i>Cyanothamnus inflexus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cyanothamnus inflexus is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to tablelands near the New South Wales - Queensland border in Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate leaves and up to seven white to pink four-petalled flowers in the leaf axils. Boronia bipinnata is similar but has larger, bipinnate or tripinnate leaves and smaller sepals and petals.

Boronia interrex, commonly known as the Regent River boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is an erect, sometimes low-lying shrub with pinnate leaves, cream-coloured to pale pink sepals and pink petals, the sepals longer and wider than the petals.

Boronia minutipinna is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with many branches, hairy stems and leaves, pinnate leaves and white to pink, four-petalled flowers with the sepals longer and wider than the petals.

<i>Cyanothamnus ramosus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cyanothamnus ramosus is a species of plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect, mostly glabrous shrub with pinnate leaves with up to seven leaflets, and white, four-petalled flowers with blue or pale green backs.

Boronia thedae, commonly known as the Theda boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub when young, later a prostrate shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves, four white to cream-coloured or pale pink sepals and four similarly coloured petals, the sepals longer and wider than the petals.

<i>Boronia tolerans</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia tolerans is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Northern Territory in Australia. It is an erect shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves and white, four-petalled flowers. It is only known from Nitmiluk National Park.

References

  1. "Boronia citriodora". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. Co, Schimmel &; Leipzig, Schimmel & Co. Aktiengesellschaft, Miltitz bei (1926). Annual Report on Essential Oils, Aromatic Chemicals and Related Materials. Schimmel & Company. Retrieved 5 May 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. "Boronia citriodora". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Boronia citriodora". Understorey Network Incorporated. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Duretto, Marco F. (2003). "Notes on Boronia (Rutaceae) in eastern and northern Australia" (PDF). Muelleria. 17: 79–83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  6. "Boronia citriodora". APNI. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  7. 1 2 Hooker, Joseph D. (1860). The botany of the Antarctic voyage of H.M. discovery ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839-1843 :under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross. London: Lovell Reeve. p. 68. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  8. UTas.edu.au: Boronia citriodora
  9. "Boronia citriodora". University of Tasmania. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  10. "Boronia citriodora". Plant This. Retrieved 27 February 2019.