THE BORONIA. 
145 
THE BORONIA, 
ITS YAEIETIES AND CULTURE. 
The Boronia is an Australian family of 
very pretty shrubby plants, of small stature, 
and evergreen habit, and generally producing 
a profusion of very conspicuous and orna- 
mental blossoms. In fact, there are two or 
three of the cultivated species, which, as green- 
house shrubs, if they are not unrivalled, are 
at least unsurpassed by anything that we have 
of the same class of plants ; and a dozen of 
the very best greenhouse plants that could be 
selected must include one species at least of 
this genus. At floral exhibitions, few among 
the many subjects there collected are more 
conspicuous than the Boronias. They have 
at the least one property which adapts them 
for those whose gardening operations are not 
very extensive, for they are beautiful while 
quite small ; indeed, young plants of these are 
in everyway preferable to old ones. Of some 
of the kinds, plants only a foot high may 
without difficulty be had, fully as much in 
diameter, closely filled out with branches, and 
at the proper season loaded with blossoms. 
Such plants are perfect gems for small green- 
houses. There is a degree of durability, 
50. 
moreover, in the blossoms of these plants, 
which is not the least part of their recom- 
mendation, as they continue for a considerable 
time in a state of beauty. 
We have been familiar with Boronias in 
gardens for many years. The first introduced 
species appears to have been sent to this coun- 
try in 1794 ; and one or two others arrived 
prior to 1820. The majority of the species 
which are or have been in cultivation were, 
however, apparently introduced at two dis- 
tinct periods, — one between 1824 and 1826, 
and the other in 1841-2. 
The genus Boronia was named after Francis 
Boroni, who was an Italian attendant of Dr. 
Sibthorp, and collected the specimens of many 
of the plants figured in Sibthorp's famous 
Flora Grceca. It belongs to Rutacete, the 
natural order of rue-woits, where it forms 
part of the group of Diosmefe. By some un- 
accountable error it is, in Paxton's Botanical 
Dictionary, said to belong to Proteace^, and 
the error remains uncorrected in the recently 
published supplement to that useful book. 
According to the most recent catalogues, 
