Rupp's Boronia - profile

Indicative distribution

Loading map...

Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Boronia ruppii

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Gazetted date: 28 Apr 2000

Profile last updated: 03 Jan 2019

Description

Rupp’s Boronia is a medium-sized shrub 0.4 - 2 m tall. Its leaves are divided into three to seven leaflets, each leaflet 4 - 30 mm long and 1.5 - 12 mm wide. The leaflets are paler underneath than on top and smooth or with a few hairs. When crushed, the leaves have a strong scent. The stems are covered with dense star-shaped hairs. The pale to bright pink flowers are 6 - 10 mm long, can be found in all months, yet blossom primarily during July to November.

Distribution

Restricted to Woodsreef, east of Barraba where it occurs on serpentine geology. In the past, this species was considered to occur more widely in the Hunter Valley, but these records are now recognised as a separate species - Boronia rubiginosa.

Habitat and ecology

Rupp’s Boronia grows in dry eucalypt woodland on soils derived from serpentinite rock.
Recent extensive surveys indicate over a dozen small subpopulations remain scattered across the local site. Searches for the species in other regional serpentine areas have been unsuccessful to date.
Severe herbivory by both macropods and feral goats occurs at some sites and at unpredictable intervals, leading to poor plant health and death. During drought conditions macropods become a more important threat. In contrast, some sites remain largely un-browsed for extended periods.
Cost-effective caging of a subsample of plants in each of the sites is being implemented to secure local genetic diversity [whilst cages may not protect plants enough to reach their full growth potential, they facilitate survival, allowing some seed set and recruitment while having lower maintenance costs than a more expensive fence needed to exclude macropods]. However, theft of the cage's mesh limits their use to areas away from public access. One population that has been well-fenced for decades has not prospered as well as hoped, even with complete protection from vertebrate herbivory.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Nandewar

Threats

Grazing by domestic stock.
Inappropriate fire regime. Risk of population decline with fire intervals less than five years or greater than 30 years.
Clearing and habitat disturbance due to mineral exploration, particularly in serpentinite areas.
Risk of local extinction due to small size of populations.
Browsing by various feral and native species.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Assist with the control of feral goats in habitat areas.
Implement appropriate fire regimes to manage populations.
Protect known populations and habitat areas from grazing stock.
Protect known populations and areas of potential habitat from clearing and mining.
Report any new records to the DPE.

Information sources

Duretto, M.F. (1999) Systematics of Boronia section Valvatae sensu lato (Rutaceae). Muelleria 12(1): 1-131
Hosking, J.R. and James, T.A. (1998) Native and exotic flora of the North Western Slopes upstream of the junction of the Peel and Namoi Rivers, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 5(3): 721-766
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2003) Threatened Species of the New England Tablelands and North West Slopes of NSW. (NSW NPWS, Coffs Harbour)
NSW Scientific Committee (2000) Boronia ruppii (a shrub) - Endangered species determination - final.
Weston, P.H. and Duretto, M.F. (2002) Boronia. Pp. 265-275 in Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Revised Edition Volume 2. (University of New South Wales Press Ltd, Sydney)