Boronia megastigma
Encyclopedia
Boronia megastigma is a species of shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

 in the citrus family
Rutaceae
Rutaceae, commonly known as the rue or citrus family, is a family of flowering plants, usually placed in the order Sapindales.Species of the family generally have flowers that divide into four or five parts, usually with strong scents...

 known by the common name brown boronia. This is one of several species of Boronia cultivated for its intense, attractive scent. It is the main Boronia source of essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...

s, while its relative Boronia heterophylla is more often harvested for use as an aromatic cut ornamental
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...

. B. megastigma is a small shrub approaching a meter in maximum height. The narrow, thick, linear leaves are arranged in whorls about the thin stem branches. They are dark green and glandular, and are scented, but it is the flower of the plant which is coveted for its oils. All of the organs of the flower contain oil glands and their activity is greatest while the stigma
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...

 is receptive to pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...

, which suggests that production of scent may serve to attract pollinators such as insects. In the wild plant, each flower is about a centimeter wide and shaped like a cup which is brown or dark reddish-purple externally and bright yellow inside. There are several cultivated varieties which bear flowers of different colors. The two main aroma compound
Aroma compound
An aroma compound, also known as odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavor, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor...

s of the oil of this species are β-ionone and dodecyl acetate. The oil is used in perfumes and as a food additive that enhances fruit flavors.

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