Dwarf boronia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Cyanothamnus
Species:
C. polygalifolius
Binomial name
Cyanothamnus polygalifolius
(Sm.) Duretto & Heslewood[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Tetratheca oppositifolia Pers.
  • Boronia hyssopifolia Sieber ex Spreng.
  • Boronia oppositifolia (Pers.) Cheel
  • Boronia polygalifolia Sm.
  • Boronia polygalifolia var. oppositifolia (Pers.) J.M.Black
  • Boronia tetrathecoides DC.

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.

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 name Boronia 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]

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.
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