''Boronia fraseri'', commonly known as Fraser's boronia, is a plant in the citrus family occurring near

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It is an erect, multi-branched shrub with

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and ...

leaves and pink flowers arranged in small groups in the leaf

axil A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...

Description

''Boronia fraseri'' is an erect many-branched shrub that grows to a height of about with four-angled, mostly hairless branches. The leaves are pinnate, long and wide in outline on a petiole long. There are between three and seven elliptic leaflets. The end leaflet is long and wide and the side leaflets are long and wide. Between three and seven pink flowers are arranged on a stalk long. The four

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s are egg-shaped to triangular, densely hairy on the back, long and wide. The four

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s are long, wide and hairy on the back. The eight

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s alternate in length with those opposite the petals shorter than those near the sepals. Flowering occurs from July to October and the fruit are long and wide.

Taxonomy and naming

''Boronia fraseri'' was first formally described by

William Jackson Hooker Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botany, botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew Gardens, Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botan ...

in 1843 and the description was published in '' The Botanical Magazine''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

(''fraseri'') honours Charles Fraser, the first superintendent of the

Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is a heritage-listed major botanical garden, event venue and public recreation area located at Farm Cove on the eastern fringe of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government are ...

Distribution and habitat

Unlike many ''Boronia'' plants, Fraser's boronia prefers moist gullies and rainforest areas, often on soils based on Narrabeen sandstone and is found mainly in the

region but also occurs in the Blue Mountains.

Conservation

Fraser's boronia is rare plant, with a

ROTAP Rare or Threatened Australian Plants, usually abbreviated to ROTAP, is a list of rare or threatened Australian plant taxa. Developed and maintained by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the most recent edition ...

rating of 2RCa.

Use in horticulture

Well drained soils with part shade are advised for cultivation. ''Boronia'' "Telopea Valley Star" is a hybrid between this species and ''Boronia mollis'', which is hardier and has been grown in Australian gardens.

References

External links

* {{- fraseri Flora of New South Wales Apiales of Australia Taxa named by William Jackson Hooker Plants described in 1843