Sydney Boronia | |
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Boronia ledifolia in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Rutaceae |
Genus: | Boronia |
Species: | B. ledifolia |
Binomial name | |
Boronia ledifolia | |
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Synonyms [1] | |
List
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Boronia ledifolia, commonly known as the Sydney boronia, showy boronia or ledum boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with simple or pinnate leaves which have a strong odour when crushed, and pale to bright pink flowers. Although difficult to propagate, this boronia is a popular garden plant.
Boronia ledifolia is a shrub which grows to a height of 0.3–2.5 m (1–8 ft) and has its thinnest branches covered with fine, matted hairs. The leaves are usually simple but may also be pinnate with from three to seven leaflets. The leaves or leaflets are narrow elliptic or oblong in shape, 3–43 mm (0.1–2 in) long and 1–7 mm (0.04–0.3 in) wide. They are dark green and glabrous on the upper surface and a lighter green with a thin layer of matted hairs on the lower side where there is a distinct mid-vein. [2] [3] [4]
The flowers are pale to bright pink, rarely white, and are arranged in groups of up to 35, but usually 3 to 6 in leaf axils. The groups are on a peduncle 1–10 mm (0.04–0.4 in) long, each flower on an individual stalk a further 6–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The sepals are egg-shaped to triangular, 3–4.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and the four petals are 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long. Flowering occurs in spring and early summer and is followed by the fruit which is a follicle, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long. [2] [3] [4]
This species was first formally described in 1803 by the French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat, who gave it the name Lasiopetalum ledifolium and published the description in Jardin de la Malmaison. [5] [6] In 1824, Augustin de Candolle changed the name to Boronia ledifolia and published the name change in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis . [7] [8] The specific epithet (ledifolia) refers to a perceived similarity to the leaves of plants in the genus Ledum. [9]
Boronia ledifolia mainly occurs south of Scone although there are disjunct populations in the Torrington and Bolivia Hill districts. It is rare in Victoria where it occurs in parts of the Gippsland district. It usually grows in poor soils over sandstone or granite in heath and forest. [2] [3] [4]
Boronias are mostly sensitive to dieback and tend to be short-lived in cultivation. This species needs a sunny, moist and well drained situation. [10]
Sambucus gaudichaudiana, commonly known as white elderberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a perennial shrub but with stems that are produced annually with pinnate leaves that have three to eleven leaflets, small white flowers and small but edible fruit. It grows in cool forest and shady gorges.
Elaeodendron australe, commonly known as red olive-berry, red-fruited olive plum, or blush boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with egg-shaped to oblong leaves with a wavy margin, yellowish green male and female flowers on separate plants and fleshy orange-red fruit.
Gompholobium glabratum, commonly known as dainty wedge-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a low-lying or ascending shrub with pinnate leaves that have five to seven leaflets, and yellow and green or greyish flowers.
Zanthoxylum nitidum, commonly known as shiny-leaf prickly-ash, tez-mui or liang mian zhen, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae. It is a woody climber with prickles on the branchlets, thick, cone-shaped spines on the trunk and older branches, pinnate leaves with five to nine leaflets, and panicles or racemes of white to pale yellow, male or female flowers in leaf axils and on the ends of branchlets.
Darwinia diosmoides is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, erect shrub with linear leaves and more or less spherical heads of white flowers.
Persoonia dillwynioides, commonly known as Fitzgerald persoonia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with smooth bark, linear leaves and bright yellow flowers borne singly or in groups of up to four along a rachis up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long.
Persoonia hakeiformis is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading to low-lying shrub with mostly smooth bark, linear leaves and bright yellow flowers borne in groups of up to sixty along a rachis up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long.
Zanthoxylum rhetsa, commonly known as Indian prickly ash, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and occurs from India east to the Philippines and south to northern Australia. It is a deciduous shrub or tree with cone-shaped spines on the stems, pinnate leaves with between nine and twenty-three leaflets, panicles of white or yellowish, male and female flowers, followed by spherical red, brown or black follicles.
Amyema gaudichaudii, commonly known as melaleuca mistletoe, is a plant in the family Loranthaceae endemic to eastern Australia. Like other mistletoes, it is a shrubby, woody, aerial hemiparasite plant. It has relatively small, wedge-shaped leaves and small, dark red flowers arranged in groups of three. It only grows on a few species of Melaleuca.
Dillwynia rudis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with warty, linear leaves and yellow to orange flowers with red veins.
Pultenaea echinula, commonly known as curved bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with linear, needle-shaped, grooved leaves, and dense clusters of yellow to orange and red flowers.
Pultenaea euchila, commonly known as orange pultenaea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with glabrous foliage, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and orange-coloured flowers arranged singly or in small groups near the ends of branchlets.
Bossiaea lenticularis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It is a slender, spreading shrub with mostly circular leaves, and yellow and red flowers.
Pandorea floribunda is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is similar to Pandorea pandorana but the leaflets are egg-shaped, 30–80 mm (1.2–3.1 in) long and 15–50 mm (0.59–1.97 in) wide and the flowers are pale yellow to cream-coloured.
Bauera capitata is a species of flowering plant in the family Cunoniaceae and is endemic to coastal eastern Australia. It is a small shrub with trifoliate, usually lobed leaves and sessile, deep pink flowers with twelve to fifteen stamens.
Olearia chrysophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with scattered elliptic leaves, and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Olearia cydoniifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with scattered elliptic leaves, and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Olearia quercifolia, commonly known as oak-leaved olearia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, and is endemic to the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. It is a shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white and yellow daisy flowers.
Olearia rosmarinifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with scattered linear leaves, and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Leucopogon pimeleoides is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly egg-shaped leaves and spikes of white, bearded flowers.