Boronia thedae

Last updated

Theda boronia
Status DECF P1.svg
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Boronia
Species:
B. thedae
Binomial name
Boronia thedae

Boronia thedae, commonly known as the Theda boronia, [2] 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.

Contents

Description

Boronia thedae is an erect, hairy shrub when young, later a spreading or prostrate, more or less glabrous shrub with many branches. It grows to about 50 cm (20 in) high and 150 cm (59 in) wide. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, pinnate, 12–29 mm (0.47–1.14 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) wide in outline, with mostly five to fifteen leaflets. The end leaflet is 4–9 mm (0.16–0.35 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide and the side leaflets are shorter. The flowers are usually borne singly in leaf axils on a stalk 5–21 mm (0.20–0.83 in) long. The four sepals are white or cream-coloured to pale pink, narrow triangular to egg-shaped, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) wide, hairy on the back and longer and wider than the petals. The four petals are a similar colour to the sepals but with a dark pink base, 3–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long and 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) wide and moderately hairy on both surfaces. The eight stamens are hairy with those nearest the sepals having a much larger anther than those near the petals. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia thedae was first formally described in 2015 by Russell Barrett, Matthew Barrett and Marco Duretto and the description was published in Nuytsia from a specimen collected on Theda Station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. [2] [4] The specific epithet (thedae) refers to the type location, Theda Station, which in turn, was named after the wife of the founder of the station lease. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Theda boronia is only known from Theda Station and from there to near Drysdale River National Park. It grows in woodland between sandstone boulders. [2] [3]

Conservation status

Boronia thedae is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, [3] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Boronia pinnata</i> species of 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 molloyae</i> species of plant

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.

<i>Boronia jucunda</i> species of plant

Boronia jucunda is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the far north-west of Australia. It is an erect shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves and white, four-petalled flowers. It is only known from a small area in the Kimberley region in Western Australia and in a national park in the Northern Territory.

<i>Boronia pilosa</i> species of 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.

Boronia barrettiorum is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is only known from two populations growing north of the Prince Regent River in the Kimberley Australia region of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with hairy branches and leaves, simple or trifoliate leaves and white, four-petalled flowers.

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.

Boronia cremnophila, commonly known as the Kimberley cliff 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 or spreading shrub with both simple, and trifoliate leaves, and white sepals and petals, the sepals larger than the petals.

<i>Boronia decumbens</i> species of plant

Boronia decumbens is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to northern parts of the Northern Territory. It is a low, spreading shrub with pinnate leaves and white to pink flowers with the four sepals larger than the four petals.

<i>Boronia filicifolia</i> species of 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>Boronia inflexa</i> species of plant

Boronia inflexa 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.

<i>Boronia kalumburuensis</i> species of plant

Boronia kalumburuensis is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the Kalumburu area of Western Australia. It is an erect or sprawling shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves and white to pink four-petalled flowers with 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>Boronia revoluta</i> species of plant

Boronia revoluta, commonly known as Ironcap 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 three-part leaves and pink or white, four-petalled flowers.

Boronia rozefeldsii, commonly known as Schouten Island boronia, is a species of plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small Tasmanian island. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate leaves and pink, four-petalled flowers. It is similar to B. pilosa which grows on the same island, but has larger petals and fewer hairs on the leaflets.

<i>Boronia rupicola</i> species of plant

Boronia rupicola is a species of plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is a small shrub with weeping branches, simple or pinnate leaves and small, green, inconspicuous flowers.

<i>Boronia squamipetala</i> species of plant

Boronia squamipetala is a species of plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae, and is endemic to Queensland, Australia. It is an erect shrub with pinnate leaves with between five and thirteen elliptic leaflets, and green to white, four-petalled flowers with hairy backs.

<i>Boronia tolerans</i> species of 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.

<i>Boronia wilsonii</i> species of plant

Boronia wilsonii is an erect shrub that is endemic to northern Australia. Its branches, leaves and backs of the flowers are densely covered with woolly hairs. The petals are white to pink or burgundy-coloured.

Boronia yarrowmerensis is a species of erect, woody shrub that is endemic to Queensland. It has pinnate or bipinnate leaves and groups of upt to seven flowers with white petals in leaf axils.

References

  1. "Boronia thedae". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Barrett, Russell L.; Barrett, Matthew D.; Duretto, Marco F. (2015). "Four new species of Boronia (Rutaceae) from the Kimberley region of Western Australia" (PDF). Nuytsia. 26: 106–108. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Boronia thedae". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  4. "Boronia thedae". APNI. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  5. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 10 May 2019.