Chapter X. 



BORONIA. 



The genus Boronia contains about sixty species, but 

 they are all confined to Australia, though within the 

 limits of the Commonwealth they are very widely dis- 

 persed. Tt belongs to the family Rutacese, a large, very 

 natural group of worldwide distribution, so named from 

 Rue, a common European herb. The citrus fruiting 

 shrubs, Orange, Lemon, and such, are well-known mem- 

 bers of the family. All the group are noted for the aro- 

 matic properties they possess This, generally, is apparent 

 in the oil dots in the leaves and on the green stems, a^con- 

 dition we have already met with amongst the Myrtles. 



We have six forms of Boronia, besides many other 

 shrubs belonging to closely-related genera. All the 

 Boronias have their leaves placed in opposite pairs. In 

 some species the leaves are of simple outline, while in 

 others they are divided into linear segments. The form 

 that is most likely to be gathered by a young student is 

 the one commonly known as Pink Boronia. It is com- 

 monly divided into two or three species, a fact that need 

 not trouble us here. The leaves are divided into five to nine 

 linear leaflets arranged in pairs. The flowers are pink, or 

 nearly white, and borne in little loose bunches in the upper 

 leaf axils. In general appearance the structure is very 

 much as we found it in Purple Heather. The sepals are 

 four, and inserted close below the other parts at the top 

 of the flower-stalk ; that is to say, the flower-stalk does not 

 expand above into any form of tube as we found in Roses 

 and Myrtles. The petals are also four in number, and are 

 quite free from one another. There are eight free stamens. 

 The filaments are well-developed, and bear gland-like 

 nodules on their surface, besides being adorned with 

 delicate hairs. The anthers are small, round, and inserted 

 a little below the apex of the filament. The pistil is not 

 at all sunk in the thalamus. and is formed of four dis- 

 tinct, or nearly distinct, carpels, which have one common 

 erect style with a round terminal stigma. There are two 

 ovules formed in each carpel. 



Between the stamens and pistil there is developed a 

 thick fleshy ring, called a disc. Its use appears to be to 

 supply attractive juice to visiting insects. This disc is a 



