Boronia xanthastrum

Last updated

Boronia xanthastrum
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. xanthastrum
Binomial name
Boronia xanthastrum
Boronia xanthastrumDistMap133.png
Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium

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.

Contents

Description

Boronia xanthastrum is an annual or sometimes a short-lived perennial shrub that typically grows to a height of about 40 cm (16 in). Its branches, leaves and parts of the flowers are covered with star-like yellow hairs that turn white as they age. The leaves are narrow elliptical to lance-shaped, 10–36 mm (0.39–1.42 in) long and 2.5–6.5 mm (0.098–0.256 in) wide on a petiole 0.5–1.5 mm (0.020–0.059 in) long. The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to three in leaf axils on a peduncle 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) long. The flowers are surrounded by leaf-like prophylls 1.5–4 mm (0.059–0.157 in) long and 0.5 mm (0.020 in) wide and the sepals are egg-shaped to triangular, 3.5–6 mm (0.14–0.24 in) long, 1–2.5 mm (0.039–0.098 in) wide and hairy on the outer surface. The petals are yellowish green, 2.5–4 mm (0.098–0.157 in) long and 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) wide and hairy on the upper surface. The sepals, but not the petals enlarge as the fruit develops. Flowering occurs between January and June and the fruit is a glabrous capsule 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and about 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Boronia xanthastrum was first formally described in 1997 by Marco F. Duretto who published the description in the journal Australian Systematic Botany from specimens collected by Lyndley Craven near Twin Falls in 1980. [6] The specific epithet (xanthastrum) is derived from ancient Greek words meaning "yellow" and "star", referring to the colour and shape of the hairs that give this species a yellow appearance. [6]

Distribution and habitat

This boronia grows on schists and sandstone in heath and woodland and is mainly found in Kakadu National Park but also occurs in Nitmiluk National Park and disjunctly in north-east Arnhem Land. [2] [4]

Conservation status

This species is classified as "near threatened" under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000 . [3] It was previously listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 . [5] [7]

Related Research Articles

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

Boronia algida, commonly known as alpine boronia, is a flowering plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with many branches, pinnate leaves and white to bright pink, four-petalled flowers usually borne singly on the ends of branches.

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

Boronia forsteri is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to mountain ranges in central Queensland, Australia. It is an erect shrub with many branches, simple leaves with a densely hairy, pale underside, and pink, four-petalled flowers.

<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 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 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.

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 revoluta</i> Species of flowering 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.

<i>Boronia rupicola</i> Species of flowering 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 splendida</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia splendida is a species of plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae, and is endemic to Queensland, Australia. It is an erect shrub with most parts covered with star-like hairs and has simple, linear to narrow elliptic leaves, and pink to white, four-petalled flowers.

<i>Boronia squamipetala</i> Species of flowering 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 suberosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia suberosa 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 shrub with weeping branches, simple leaves, and flowers with four small, white 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.

<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 viridiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<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.

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 xanthastrum". Australian Plant Census . Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 Duretto, Marco F. (1999). "Systematics of Boronia section Valvatae sensu lato (Rutaceae)" (PDF). Muelleria. 12 (1): 94–95. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Boronia xanthastrum". Northern Territory Government flora online. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 Duretto, Marco F.; Wilson, Paul G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y. "Boronia xanthastrum". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. 1 2 Beeton, Robert J.S. "Advice to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) on Amendments to the list of Threatened Species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Boronia xanthastrum". APNI. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. Kerrigan, Raelee. "Kakadu Threatened Flora Report (Volume 2)" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 15 March 2020.