''Asterolasia buxifolia'' is a species of spindly shrub in the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to a restricted area of eastern New South Wales. It has star-shaped hairs on its stems, leathery leaves and yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf

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

s with star-shaped hairs on the back of the

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

Description

''Asterolasia buxifolia'' is a spindly shrub that typically grows to a height of with its stems covered with star-shaped hairs. The leaves are leathery and egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide on a petiole long. The upper surface of the leaves is

glabrous Glabrousness (from the Latin ''glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...

but the lower surface is covered with star-shaped hairs. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

up to long. The five

s are yellow, elliptical, long and covered with star-shaped hairs on the back.

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1863 by

George Bentham George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studi ...

who published the description in ''

Flora Australiensis ''Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian Territory'', more commonly referred to as ''Flora Australiensis'', and also known by its standard abbreviation ''Fl. Austral.'', is a seven-volume flora of Australia published be ...

''.

Distribution and habitat

''Asterolasia buxifolia'' is only known from a single site near the

River Lett The River Lett is a perennial stream of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment. It is located in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. Course The River Lett rises on the southern slopes of the Bell Range, below , approximately n ...

where it grows among granite rocks in forest in the

Central Tablelands The Central Tablelands in New South Wales is a geographic area that lies between the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the Central Western Slopes and Plains. The Great Dividing Range passes in a north–south direction through the Central Tablelands ...

of eastern New South Wales.

Conservation status

This plant was only rediscovered in 2000 and little is known about it. It is listed as "endangered" under the New South Wales Government '' Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016''. The main threats to the species include weed invasion, habitat disturbance and grazing by rabbits, hares and livestock.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15388030 buxifolia Sapindales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 1863 Taxa named by George Bentham