Cyanothamnus polygalifolius

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Dwarf boronia
Boronia polygalifolia.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Cyanothamnus
Species:
C. polygalifolius
Binomial name
Cyanothamnus polygalifolius
Synonyms [1]
  • Tetratheca oppositifolia Pers.
  • Boronia hyssopifolia Sieber ex Spreng.
  • Boronia oppositifolia(Pers.) Cheel
  • Boronia polygalifoliaSm.
  • Boronia polygalifolia var. oppositifolia(Pers.) J.M.Black
  • Boronia tetrathecoidesDC.

Cyanothamnus polygalifolius, commonly known as dwarf boronia, [2] milkwort-leaved boronia [3] or milkwort boronia, [4] 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.

Contents

Description

Cyanothamnus polygalifolius is a low-lying, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of about 0.3 m (0.98 ft) with its branches also about 0.3 m (0.98 ft) long. The plant is glabrous, apart from the flowers . The leaves are simple, usually sessile, linear to elliptic, 6–30 mm (0.24–1.18 in) long and 1–6 mm (0.039–0.236 in) wide with the edges down-curved or rolled under. There is usually only one, but sometimes up to three flowers arranged in groups in the leaf axils on a pedicel 1–11 mm (0.039–0.433 in) long. The four sepals are egg-shaped to triangular, 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) long, 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long and glabrous. The four petals are pink or white, 4.5–6.5 mm (0.18–0.26 in) long with their bases overlapping. The eight stamens have hairy edges. Flowering mainly occurs from September to January and the fruit is a glabrous capsule 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1798 by James Edward Smith who gave it the nameBoronia polygalifolia in his book ''Tracts relating to natural history. [6] [7] In a 2013 paper in the journal Taxon , Marco Duretto and others changed the name to Cyanothamnus polygalifolius on the basis of cladistic analysis. [8] The specific epithet (polygalifolius) is a reference to the similarity of the leaves of this species to those in the genus Polygala . [5]

Distribution and habitat

Dwarf boronia grows in open forest, woodland and heath between the Blackdown Tableland and Kroombit Tops in Queensland and Moruya and Geehi in New South Wales. A single specimen has been recorded in eastern Victoria. [2] [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Boronia pinnata</i> Species of flowering 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 muelleri</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia muelleri, commonly known as the forest boronia or pink boroina, is a flowering plant that occurs in forest, woodland and heath in Victoria and New South Wales in Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub or small tree with pinnate leaves and up to fifteen pink to white four-petalled flowers arranged in leaf axils in spring and summer.

<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>Cyanothamnus nanus</i> Species of plant

Cyanothamnus nanus, commonly known as the dwarf boronia or small boronia is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a prostrate or low spreading shrub with simple or three-part leaves and white or pale pink four-petalled flowers.

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

Cyanothamnus bipinnatus, commonly known as rock boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is an erect shrub with bipinnate or tripinnate leaves and white, four-petalled flowers. A more widespread species previously known as Boronia pinnata and also occurring in New South Wales is now considered to be B. occidentalis.

<i>Cyanothamnus coerulescens</i> Species of plant

Cyanothamnus coerulescens, commonly known as blue boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a small, spindly shrub with glandular stems, small, more or less cylindrical leaves and blue to pinkish mauve, four-petalled flowers. There are two subspecies endemic to Western Australia and a third that also occurs in three eastern states.

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

Boronia floribunda, commonly known as pale pink boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of eastern New South Wales. It is an erect, woody shrub with compound leaves and large numbers of white to pale pink, four-petalled flowers in spring and early summer.

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

Cyanothamnus occidentalis, commonly known as the rock boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate or bipinnate leaves and groups of up to three white to pale pink, pink four-petalled flowers arranged in leaf axils.

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.

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

Cyanothamnus bussellianus is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender perennial herb or shrub with well-spaced, simple leaves and pink, blue or white, four-petalled flowers.

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

Cyanothamnus defoliatus is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a straggly shrub with simple, thread-like leaves and white to pink, four-petalled flowers that are pale blue on the back.

<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.

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>Boronia parviflora</i> Species of plant

Boronia parviflora, commonly known as the swamp boronia, small boronia, tiny boronia, or small-flowered boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic south-eastern Australia. It is a weak, low shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with finely toothed edges and up to three pink, white or green four-petalled flowers arranged at or near the ends of the stems.

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

Cyanothamnus penicillatus is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with pinnate leaves and white flowers with four petals and eight stamens.

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

Cyanothamnus ramosus is a species of plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect, mostly glabrous shrub with pinnate leaves with up to seven leaflets, and white, four-petalled flowers with blue or pale green backs.

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

Cyanothamnus subsessilis is a species of plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody, mostly glabrous shrub with simple leaves and flowers with four petals that are white on the front and green to blue on the back.

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

Cyanothamnus westringioides is a species of erect shrub that is endemic to a small area in the southwest of Western Australia. It has simple, narrow, sessile leaves and pale pink flowers arranged singly 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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Cyanothamnus polygalifolius". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Weston, Peter H.; Duretto, Marco F. "Boronia polygalifolia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Duretto, Marco F.; Wilson, Paul G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y. "Boronia polygalifolia". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Walsh, Neville. "Cyanothamnus polygalifolius". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 Duretto, Marco F. (2003). "Notes on Boronia (Rutaceae) in eastern and northern Australia". Muelleria. 17: 51–53. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  6. "Boronia polygalifolia". APNI. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  7. Smith, James Edward (1798). Tracts relating to natural history. London. pp. 297–298. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  8. Duretto, Marco F.; Heslewood, Margaret M.; Bayly, Michael J. (2020). "Boronia (Rutaceae) is polyphyletic: Reinstating Cyanothamnus and the problems associated with inappropriately defined outgroups". Taxon. 69 (3): 481–499. doi:10.1002/tax.12242.