Species profile—Boronia safrolifera (safrole boronia)
Classification
Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Rutaceae → Boronia safrolifera (safrole boronia)
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Sighting data
Species details
- Kingdom
- Plantae (plants)
- Class
- Equisetopsida (land plants)
- Family
- Rutaceae
- Scientific name
- Boronia safrolifera Cheel
- Common name
- safrole boronia
- WildNet taxon ID
- 13664
- Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status
- Least concern
- Conservation significant
- No
- Confidential
- No
- Wetland status
- Wetland Indicator Species
- Endemicity
- Native
- Pest status
- Nil
- Description
- Boronia safrolifera is a small, slender shrub growing to 2.5m. The branchlets are sparsely to moderately covered with fine hairs, becoming hairless with age. The leaves are pinnate (separate leaflets along each side of a common stalk) with 7-19 leaflets and the terminal leaflet shortest (2.5-7 mm long). The midrib is slightly winged and often curved, 2-4cm long. The leaflets are narrow elliptic to obovate (reverse egg-shaped), with a short pointed tip, the margins slightly toothed or entire and recurved (curved under). Leaflets have a paler lower surface, may be hairless or slightly hairy and measure 3-18mm long by 1-3.5mm wide.
Flowers are deep pink (occasionally pale or white) with petals 4.5-7mm long. Fruits are a compressed oblong shape, hairless and about 3-4.5mm long. (Stanley & Ross 1983; Duretto 2003; Weston & Duretto 2003) - Distribution
- This species is known to occur in coastal areas from Bribie Island, Queensland to Port Stephens, New South Wales. (Stanlay & Ross 1983; Weston & Duretto 2003)
- Distributional limits
- -27.0342872, 153.0843943
-28.0900672, 153.5010596 - Range derivation
- Range derived from extent of the taxon's verified records
- Habitat
- Boronia safrolifera occurs in swamps or badly draining, wet, sandy areas in heath (wallum). (Stanley & Ross 1983)
- Behaviour
- When the leaves are crushed their odour is similar to that of safrole (an oily substance extracted from the fruit of the sassafras plant). (Stanley & Ross 1983)
- Reproduction
- Flowering occurs mainly from August to November, and sometimes in autumn. (Stanley & Ross 1983; Weston & Duretto 2003)
- Notes
- Contributors: Ailsa Holland, Mellisa Mayhew 27/01/2009
- References
- Duretto, M.F. (2003). Notes on Boronia (Rutaceae) in eastern and northern Australia. Muelleria 17: 19-135.
Stanley, T.D. & Ross, E.M. (1983). Flora of south-eastern Queensland (volume 1). Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.
Weston, P.H. and Duretto, M.F. (2003). Boronia safrolifera, in PlantNet: New South Wales Flora Online. National Herbarium of New South Wales. Accessed 25/09/2008. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ - Profile author
- Ailsa Holland (27/01/2009)
Other resources
Data source
This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=13664.
This information is sourced from the WildNet platform managed by the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
