Boronia

Boronia are relatively short lived shrubs that are well known for their aromatic flowers and/or leaves, producing flowers with 4 petals. Boronia’s belong to the Rutaceae family which also include Correa, Eriostamon, Phebalium and Zieria genera. The leaves of all Rutaceae species are dotted with glands containing strongly aromatic volatile oils. There are 95 different known species of boronia all of which are endemic to Australia.

Katandra hosts four species of boronia – B. mollis, B. ledifolia, B. pinnata and B. thujona.

Boronia mollis (Soft Boronia) is used as the flora emblem of Katandra due to it prevalence throughout the Sanctuary, however it is considered uncommon in the Sydney area. An erect shrub growing to 1 – 1.5 metres in moist sandstone gullies, it provides an abundance of rich pink flowers in spring, each flower with four petals and 8 anthers. The branches and leaf stalks are densely covered in soft stellate hairs, hence its common name. The leaves are pinnate with 5 to 9 leaflets, the terminal leaflet slightly longer and narrower than the lateral ones. When crushed, the leaves of Boronia mollis have a strong lemon-bitumen odour.