Brown boronia | |
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Boronia megastigma in the ANBG | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Rutaceae |
Genus: | Boronia |
Species: | B. megastigma |
Binomial name | |
Boronia megastigma | |
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Boronia megastigma, commonly known as brown boronia, [2] sweet-scented boronia [3] or scented boronia, [4] is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, erect shrub with aromatic leaves and flowers, the leaves with three or five leaflets and the flowers cup-shaped, dark brown to purplish black on the outside and yellow inside.
Boronia megastigma is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2 m (3–7 ft) and has slender branches covered with fine, soft hairs. The leaves are sessile with three or five thick, slender, linear leaflets 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long and strongly aromatic. The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils on a pedicel about 10 mm (0.4 in) long, the flowers cup-shaped, hanging, aromatic and sometimes in large numbers along a flowering branch. The four sepals are very broadly egg-shaped, glabrous and about 2 mm (0.08 in) long. The four petals are more or less round, 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, reddish brown to dark brown or purplish black on the outside and yellow inside. Sometimes the petals are also yellow on the outside. There are eight stamens with those near the sepals having a more or less round, dark purple anther about 1 mm (0.04 in) long and sterile. The stamens near the petals have a similar anther but pale yellow and fertile. The stigma is unusually large, dark purple or black with four lobes. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Boronia megastigma was first formally described in 1848 by Friedrich Gottlieb Bartling and the description was published in Lehmann's book Plantae Preissianae. [7] [8] The specific epithet (megastigma) is derived from the Ancient Greek words mega meaning "large" or "great" [9] : 461 and stigma, [9] : 513 referring to the large stigma of this boronia. [2]
Brown boronia grows in winter-wet swamps and woodland, mainly in the karri forests and the southern edges of the jarrah forests between Harvey and Cape Riche. [3] [5]
This is one of several species of Boronia cultivated for its intense, attractive scent. It is the main Boronia source of essential oils, while its relative Boronia heterophylla is more often harvested for use as an aromatic cut ornamental. All of the organs of the flower contain oil glands and their activity is greatest while the stigma is receptive to pollen, which suggests that production of scent may serve to attract pollinators such as insects. [10]
There are several cultivated varieties which bear flowers of different colors. The two main aroma compounds of the oil of this species are β-ionone and dodecyl acetate. [11] The oil is used in perfumes and as a food additive that enhances fruit flavors.
Over-exploitation in natural habitat areas of Southwest Western Australia has caused re-examination of over cropping in the wildflower industry. [12] [13] [14]
Plantations and cultivation have occurred in numbers of places outside of the natural habitat. [15]
Eremophila brevifolia, also known as spotted eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open, spindly shrub with sticky, short, serrated leaves and white to pink flowers and is only known from a few scattered populations.
Boronia molloyae, commonly called the tall boronia, is a plant in the citrus family that is endemic to coastal regions in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves that mostly have between three and seven leaflets, and deep rose pink, four-petalled flowers. It usually grows along streams in sandy soil.
Lasiopetalum baueri, commonly known as slender velvet bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small, greyish shrub with more or less linear to narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic leaves and groups of white or pink flowers.
Stenanthera conostephioides, commonly known as flame heath, is a species of small shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has linear to lance-shaped leaves, red, tubular flowers and green, oval fruit turning dark red.
Pimelea suaveolens, commonly known as scented banjine, is a slender shrub with large, rather hairy yellow inflorescences. It occurs in forest areas of the south-west of Western Australia from New Norcia to Albany.
Melaleuca tuberculata is a small, variable shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. There are three distinct varieties of this species, each with a different leaf size and shape, different distributions and somewhat different habitat preferences.
Melaleuca manglesii is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub which produces large numbers of heads of purple flowers with yellow tips in spring.
Melaleuca micromera, commonly known as wattle honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare species with unusual foliage and profuse small yellow flowerheads, making it a plant that is suitable for cultivation, if only to protect it from extinction.
Eremophila glabra subsp. albicans is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is similar to other shrubs in the species Eremophila glabra but it distinguished from them by its usually grey, felty leaves, dull yellow, orange or red flowers with hairy sepals, growing in sandy soils on dunes and limestone outcrops between Bunbury and Shark Bay.
Boronia fastigiata, commonly known as bushy boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with small leaves and small groups of red, pink or purple, four-petalled flowers near the ends of the branches.
Boronia heterophylla, commonly known as red boronia or Kalgan boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, slender shrub with trifoliate leaves and deep pink to red, four-petalled flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.
Boronia juncea is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the far south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with linear, short-lived leaves and groups of up to eight white to pink, four-petalled flowers.
Boronia tetrandra, commonly known as yellow boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a spreading or erect shrub with hairy stems, pinnate leaves and greenish cream to yellow or reddish brown, cup-shaped, four-petalled flowers.
Boronia crassifolia is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, slender shrub with pinnate leaves, and yellowish green to brownish, four petalled flowers.
Boronia crassipes is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly, glabrous shrub with simple leaves, and pale red or pale mauve, four petalled flowers.
Boronia stricta is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender shrub with often crowded pinnate leaves with linear leaflets, and pink, four-petalled flowers borne singly or in groups of two or three in leaf axils.
Pultenaea pinifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, slender shrub with pine-like leaves and yellow-orange flowers with orange marks.
Bossiaea pulchella is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, erect shrub with egg-shaped leaves, and orange-yellow, purplish brown and dark red flowers.
Bossiaea spinescens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, spreading or compact, spiny shrub with oblong to oval leaves and yellow and reddish-brown, pea-like flowers.
Lasiopetalum indutum is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or straggling shrub with hairy stems and pink, cream-coloured or white flowers.
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