Zieria veronicea

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Pink zieria
Zieria veronicea.jpg
Zieria veronicea growing in the Little Desert National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Zieria
Species:
Z. veronicea
Binomial name
Zieria veronicea

Zieria veronicea, commonly known as the pink zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small, lemon-scented shrub densely covered with velvety hairs. Up to three flowers with four pink petals appear in leaf axils in late spring.

Contents

Description

Zieria veronicea is a lemon-scented shrub which grows to a height of 15–60 cm (6–20 in). Most parts of the plants are densely covered with star-like hairs making its surfaces velvety. Unlike most other zierias, this species has simple, rather than clover-like leaves. The leaves are 5–18 mm (0.2–0.7 in) long and 1–5.5 mm (0.04–0.2 in) wide with the upper surface light green and the lower one greyish green. The edges of the leaves turn down or are rolled under. The petiole is less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of three in leaf axils, the groups shorter than the leaves. The four sepals are narrow lance-shaped, 2–5.5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long, pointed and densely velvety-hairy. The four petals are pink, sometimes white, 2.3–7 mm (0.09–0.3 in) and overlap each other in the bud stage. There are four stamens. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Pink zieria was first formally described in 1854 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Boronia veronicea and published the description in Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Victoria. [5] [6] In 1863, George Bentham changed the name to Zieria veronicea. [1] Mueller did not give a reason for the specific epithet (veronicea). [6]

There are two subspecies -

Distribution and habitat

Zieria veronicea is most common in Victoria where it grows in sandy mallee and mallee heath in the western part of the state and near the Gippsland Lakes. It is also found in the south-east of South Australia and in eastern Tasmania where it grows in heath or heathy woodland. [2] [3] [4]

Conservation

Zieria veronicea is classified as "Endangered" under the Tasmanian Government Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. Fewer than 200 plants are known from that state, where the main threats are land clearance and inappropriate fire regimes. [4]

Related Research Articles

<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>Zieria citriodora</i> Species of plant

Zieria citriodora, commonly known as lemon-scented zieria, is a species of flowering plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area near the border between New South Wales and Victoria. It is a small shrub with lemon-scented leaves and small, pale pink or white flowers which appear from late winter to summer.

<i>Zieria aspalathoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria aspalathoides, commonly known as the whorled zieria, heath zieria, hairy zieria or heathy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a heath-like shrub with leaves that appear to be whorled and with pink flowers in groups of three, each with four petals and four stamens.

<i>Zieria arborescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria arborescens, commonly known as the tree zieria or stinkwood, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a bushy shrub or small tree with branches that are ridged and scaly or hairy, at least when young. It has leaves composed of three leaflets and groups of flowers with four white petals, the groups usually shorter than the leaves.

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

Boronia anemonifolia, 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>Zieria minutiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria minutiflora, commonly known as twiggy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small, erect, twiggy shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets, and clusters of small white flowers with four petals and four stamens. It usually grows as an understorey shrub in eucalypt woodland.

<i>Zieria buxijugum</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria buxijugum, commonly known as the Box Range zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area on the south coast of New South Wales. It is a dense, rounded shrub with strongly scented, velvety, clover-like leaves composed of three leaflets. In early spring there are large clusters of small white flowers with four petals near the ends of the branches.

<i>Zieria cytisoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria cytisoides, commonly known as the downy zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a bushy shrub with three-part, clover-like leaves and small clusters of pale to deep pink flowers with four petals and four stamens.

<i>Zieria formosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria formosa, commonly known as the shapely zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area on the south coast of New South Wales. It is a dense, rounded shrub with velvety, clover-like leaves composed of three leaflets. In spring there are clusters of small, pale pink flowers with four petals near the ends of the branches. It is similar to the Box Range zieria which has a similar distribution, but has wider leaflets and an appendage on its anthers.

<i>Zieria fraseri</i> Species of shrub

Zieria fraseri is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dense, bushy shrub with leaves composed of three leaflets, and white flowers with four petals and four stamens. It usually grows in rocky places on steep hills.

<i>Zieria littoralis</i> Species of flowering plant

Zieria littoralis, commonly known as dwarf zieria is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with velvety, three-part, clover-like leaves and clusters of up to thirty white or pale pink flowers with four petals and four stamens. It grows on exposed, rocky coastal headlands.

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

Boronia baeckeacea is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a slender or straggling shrub with simple or trifoliate leaves and pink and white four-petalled flowers. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

<i>Boronia inornata</i> Species of plant

Boronia inornata, commonly known as desert boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is an erect shrub with three-part leaves and pink, red or white, four-petalled flowers.

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

Boronia 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 filifolia</i> Species of plant

Boronia filifolia, commonly known as the slender boronia, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender shrub with simple or pinnate leaves and pale to deep pink four-petalled flowers.

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

Boronia grandisepala is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to northern parts of the Northern Territory. It is an erect shrub with elliptic leaves and white, pink or burgundy-coloured, 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.

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

Boronia busselliana 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>Boronia defoliata</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia defoliata 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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Zieria veronicea". APNI. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 Walsh, Neville. "Zieria veronicea". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Zieria veronicea". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Zieria veronicea subsp. veronicea threatened species listing statement". Tasmanian Government Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  5. "Boronia veronicea". APNI. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  6. 1 2 von Mueller, Ferdinand (1854). "Australian Plants". Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Victoria. 1: 11–12. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  7. "Zieria veronicea subsp. veronicea". APNI. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  8. "Zieria veronicea subsp. insularis". APNI. Retrieved 27 October 2016.