Boronia viridiflora

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Boronia viridiflora
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. viridiflora
Binomial name
Boronia viridiflora
Boronia viridiflora DistMap128.png
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium

Boronia viridiflora is a species of shrub that is endemic to a small area in the Northern Territory and grows horizontally from vertical rock faces. The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to three in leaf axils and are green with a burgundy tinge.

Contents

Description

Boronia viridiflora is a shrub that typically grows to a height of about 1.5–2 m (4 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) growing horizontally from vertical rock faces. The plant is glabrous apart from the petals. Its leaves are elliptical to lance-shaped, 8–40 mm (0.31–1.57 in) long and 7–16 mm (0.28–0.63 in) wide on a petiole 0.5–3.5 mm (0.020–0.138 in) long. The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to three in leaf axils on a peduncle 0.5–3 mm (0.020–0.118 in) long. The flowers are surrounded by leaf-like prophylls 0.5–12 mm (0.020–0.472 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide and the sepals are egg-shaped to triangular, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, 2 mm (0.079 in) wide and green and burgundy-coloured. The petals are green, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. The sepals and petals do not enlarge significantly as the fruit develops. Flowering occurs between March and September and the fruit is a glabrous capsule about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia viridiflora was first formally described in 1997 by Marco F. Duretto who published the description in the journal Australian Systematic Botany . [4] The specific epithet (viridiflora) is derived from the Latin viridis meaning "green" and -florus meaning "-flowered", [5] [6] referring to the colour of the flowers. [4]

Distribution and habitat

This boronia is only known from two populations that grow on vertical sandstone rock faces in privately managed land in Arnhem Land. [2] [7]

Conservation status

This species is classified as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000 . [3] [7] Prior to 2006, the estimated population size was estimated to be about 700, but Cyclone Monica may have had severely damaged the populations and the current population size is unknown. The populations are also threatened by altered fire regimes. [7] [8] A National Recovery Plan for this species and B. quadrilata has been prepared. [9]

Related Research Articles

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

Boronia citriodora, commonly known as lemon-scented boronia, lemon plant or lemon thyme, 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.

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

Boronia granitica, commonly known as granite boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area of eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with many branches, compound leaves and pink, four-petalled flowers.

<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.

Boronia anomala is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is only known from a single population growing under an overhang in a sandstone gorge in the Kimberley Australia region of Western Australia. It is an erect, mostly hairless shrub with pinnate leaves and four-petalled flowers.

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

Boronia chartacea is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the north coast of New South Wales. It is a shrub with simple, papery leaves and bright pink flowers, usually arranged singly in the leaf axils.

<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.

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.

Cyanothamnus montimulliganensis is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a single mountain in Queensland. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate or bipinnate leaves and white, four-petalled flowers usually arranged singly in leaf axils.

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

Cyanothamnus polygalifolius, commonly known as dwarf boronia, milkwort-leaved boronia or milkwort boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a low-lying shrub with simple leaves and white or pink flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to three in leaf axils.

Boronia quadrilata is a species of plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is an erect, glabrous shrub with simple, sessile, wedge-shaped leaves, pale yellow petals and green sepals that are longer and wider than the petals. It is only known from a population of about fifteen plants.

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

Boronia ruppii, commonly known as Rupp's boronia, is a species of plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in New South Wales. It is a shrub with hairy branches, simple and trifoliate leaves and pink, four-petalled flowers in the leaf axils. It only grows around the abandoned Woodsreef asbestos mine.

<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.

<i>Boronia wilsonii</i> Species of flowering 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.

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

Boronia verecunda is a species of small, erect shrub that is endemic to a small area in the Northern Territory. The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils and are white or pink but turn green as the fruit matures. It is similar to B. xanthastrum.

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

Boronia virgata is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It is a virgate shrub with pinnate leaves with between three and five leaflets, and flowers with red sepals and deep pink, egg-shaped petals.

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

Cyanothamnus warangensis is a species of erect, woody shrub that is endemic to Queensland. It has bipinnate leaves and groups of between five and twenty-five or more white flowers in leaf axils.

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

Boronia xanthastrum is a species of small shrub that is endemic to the Northern Territory. It has yellow, star-like hairs on the young branches, leaves and parts of the flowers, elliptical to lance-shaped leaves and small yellowish green flowers.

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

Boronia zeteticorum is a species of small, semi-prostrate shrub that is endemic to a restricted part of the Northern Territory. It has hairy branches, leaves and flower parts, simple leaves and white flowers with the sepals longer and wider than the petals.

References

  1. "Boronia viridiflora". APC. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 Duretto, Marco F. (1999). "Systematics of Boronia section Valvatae sensu lato (Rutaceae)" (PDF). Muelleria. 12 (1): 91–92. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Boronia viridiflora". Northern Territory Government flora online. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Boronia viridiflora". APNI. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  5. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 336. ISBN   9780958034180.
  6. William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 528.
  7. 1 2 3 "Australian Threatened Species - Boronia viridiflora" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  8. "Rare plant threatened by Cyclone Monica". Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  9. "National Recovery Plan for Boronia quadrilata and Boronia viridiflora in the Northern Territory of Australia" (PDF). Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory Conservation and Natural Resources Division Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts.