Plants of
South Australia
Boronia inornata ssp. leptophylla
Rutaceae
Desert Boronia,
Dryland Boronia
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Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 4

Prior names

Boronia leptophylla

Boronia clavellifolia

Common names

Desert Boronia

Dryland Boronia

Etymology

Boronia named after Francesco Borone (1769-1794), an Italian botanical enthusiast who accompanied many botanical expeditions and impressed Smith (person who described the genus) with his enthusiasm and ability. Inornata from the Latin 'inornatus' meaning unadorned, possibly referring to its unattractive appearance when not in flower. Leptophylla from the Greek 'leptos' meaning narrow, slender and 'phyllon' meaning a leaf, referring to the subspecies' longer leaves than that of B. inornata ssp. inornata.

Distribution and status

Found on the Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Mount Lofty Ranges and the Murrayland in South Australia, growing in mallee on sandy, clayey and gravelly soils. Also found in Western Australia. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South Eastern
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect shrub to 1.2 m high, branchlets glabrous but covered in glandular-warts. Leaves pinnate with 3(–5) leaflets, opposite, terete, to 5 mm long and 1 mm wide, without distinct raised glands, glabrous. Flowers terminal, solitary with pink petals. Flowering between August and October. Fruits are brown, two to four segmented capsule. Seeds are dark brown to black, ovoid to 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, minutely tuberculated surface. Seed embryo type is linear fully developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between October and December. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning a pale straw colour and contain hard seeds. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for a weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Seed viability can be low. This species has physiological dormancy and can be difficult to germinate.

Seeds stored:
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LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA1,500 (1.75 g)50+17-Dec-2018JRG710
Murray
24-Apr-201990%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.