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

leaves and pink flowers arranged in small groups in the leaf axils.

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 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s are egg-shaped to triangular, densely hairy on the back, long and wide. The four petals are long, wide and hairy on the back. The eight stamens 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.Les Robinson - Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, page 115

Taxonomy and naming

''Boronia fraseri'' was first formally described by William Jackson Hooker in 1843 and the description was published in ''

The Botanical Magazine ''The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed'', is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine''. Each of the issue ...

''. The specific epithet (''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 ar ...

Distribution and habitat

Unlike many ''Boronia'' plants, Fraser's boronia prefers moist gullies and rainforest areas, on soils based on

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

and is found mainly in the Sydney 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