Cyanothamnus anemonifolius, commonly known as narrow-leaved boronia or sticky boronia,[2] is a
flowering plant that is
endemic to south-eastern
Australia. It is a shrub with mostly
pinnate leaves, with white to pale pink four-
petalled flowers in leaf
axils.
Description
Cyanothamnus anemonifolius is an erect shrub that grows to a height of 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) with pimply
glands on its branches. The leaves are usually pinnate, sometimes
simple or
bipinnate, mostly 4–18 mm (0.16–0.71 in) long and 2–25 mm (0.079–0.98 in) wide in outline on a
petiole usually 2–9 mm (0.079–0.35 in) long. The leaflets or simple leaves are wedge-shaped to elliptic or egg-shaped, mostly 2–9 mm (0.08–0.4 in) long, 1–4 mm (0.04–0.2 in) wide, the same colour on both sides and often with the tip divided into three lobes. The flowers are white to pale pink and are arranged singly or in groups of up to nine in leaf axils, the individual flowers on a
pedicel 1–8 mm (0.039–0.31 in) long. The four
sepals are broadly egg-shaped, 1.5–2.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) long and 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) wide. The four petals are 4–6 mm (0.2–0.2 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) with their bases overlapping. There are eight
stamens with those near the sepals slightly longer than those nearer to the petals. Flowering occurs from August to April and the fruit is a
glabrouscapsule, 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and about 2 mm (0.079 in) wide.[2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy and naming
This species was first formally described in 1825 by
Allan Cunningham and given the name Boronia anemonifolia in the book Geographical Memoirs on New South Wales.[6][7] In a 2013 paper in the journal Taxon,
Marco Duretto and others changed the name to Cyanothamnus anemonifolus on the basis of
cladistic analysis.[8] The
specific epithet (anemoniifolius) is a reference to the similarity of the leaves of this species to those in the genus Anemone.[5]
In 2000,
Peter Neish and
Marco Duretto described four subspecies of B. anemonifolia, that were accepted by the
Australian Plant Census:[5] The names have subsequently been changed to reflect the change in the genus name:
Cyanothamnus anemonifolius (A.Cunn.) Duretto & Heslewood subsp. anemonifolius (the
autonym), has leaves that are simple, pinnate or bipinnate, less than 2 mm (0.079 in) wide and with three teeth on the end, the petiole about the same length as the leaflets, the leaflets hairy when young and the petals not remaining on the fruit;[9]
Cyanothamnus anemonifolius subsp. aurifodinus (P.G.Neish) Duretto & Heslewood[10] has simple leaves , or if trifoliate, the petiole is much longer than the leaflet and has petals that are 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long;[11]
Cyanothamnus anemonifolius subsp. variabilis (
Hook.) Duretto & Heslewood[12] has leaves that are simple, pinnate or bipinnate, the petiole about the same length as the leaflets, the leaflets glabrous and the petals not remaining on the fruit;[13]
Cyanothamnus anemonifolius subsp. wadbilligensis (P.G.Neish) Duretto & Heslewood[14] has leaves that are simple, pinnate or bipinnate, the leaflets without teeth on the end and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide, the petiole about the same length as the leaflets, the leaflets hairy when young and the petals not remaining on the fruit.[15]
Distribution and habitat
Subspecies anemonifolius grows in woodland and heath, often on exposed rocky outcrops on the coast and nearby tablelands from near
Rylstone in
New South Wales and south to the
Brisbane Ranges in
Victoria.[9]
Subspecies aurifodina grows in low, open
eucalypt woodland in a few areas in central Victoria.[11]
Subspecies variabilis is the most widely distributed subspecies and grows in heath, open woodland or open forest in south-east
Queensland, on the coast and ranges of New South Wales and in northern and south-eastern
Tasmania. In Victoria it only occurs on two islands near
Wilsons Promontory.[13]
Subspecies wadbilligensis grows in eucalypt woodland or low heath on rocky outcrops and is only found on the
Wadbilliga plateau in New South Wales.[15]
^
abWeston, Peter H.; Duretto, Marco F.
"Boronia anemonifolia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^Duretto, Marco F.; Wilson, Paul G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y.
"Boronia anemonifolia". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^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.
^
abDuretto, Marco F.; Wilson, Paul G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y.
"Boronia anemonifolia subsp. anemonifolia". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^
abDuretto, Marco F.; Wilson, Paul G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y.
"Boronia anemonifolia subsp. aurifodina". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^
abDuretto, Marco F.; Wilson, Paul G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y.
"Boronia anemonifolia subsp. variabilis". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^
abDuretto, Marco F.; Wilson, Paul G.; Ladiges, Pauline Y.
"Boronia anemonifolia subsp. wadbilligensis". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 5 April 2019.