False Boronia, Lysiandra calycina (fomerly Phyllanthus calycinus) is an unobtrusive little plant with an interesting story. Found on sandy gravel soils in Narrogin, it belongs to the family Phyllanthaceae, which mostly occurs in subtropical areas. The plant has soft green leaves and white flowers with pinkish green shades, which dangle down from the stem on long flower stalks (pedicels). Flowers have no petals. The apparent petals are sepals, hence the name Leaf Flower.
 Male and larger female flowers |  Lysiandra calycina plant |
Now for the interesting part
Each plant has male and female flowers (monoecious). Females flowers are larger and intermixed with more numerous male flowers.
Each plant has male and female flowers (monoecious). Females flowers are larger and intermixed with more numerous male flowers.
 Lysiandra calycina female flower |  Lysiandra calycina female flower |  Lysiandra calycina male flower |  Lysiandra calycina male flower |
I have never seen any pollinators approach the flowers. This is probably because the flowers have no scent, but they do have large nectar glands at the base of each flower.
Other Phyllanthaceae species are pollinated by insects which partially parasitise them.
One pollinator is a moth which fed on nectar, transmitted pollen to the stigma and laid an egg. When the grub hatched it burrowed down the style to the ovary, ate ovules and pupated to complete its life cycle. As the moth left some ovules, to develop seeds, This is a win win for plant and moth. It also occurs in Boronias.
For other species a tiny gall midge fed on nectar at the spongy floral disc of male flowers and laid eggs in male flower buds, picking up pollen and contacting the styles of nearby female flowers in the process. Infested buds developed into sterile galls, within which midge larvae completed their development.
Nature is amazing!
Other Phyllanthaceae species are pollinated by insects which partially parasitise them.
One pollinator is a moth which fed on nectar, transmitted pollen to the stigma and laid an egg. When the grub hatched it burrowed down the style to the ovary, ate ovules and pupated to complete its life cycle. As the moth left some ovules, to develop seeds, This is a win win for plant and moth. It also occurs in Boronias.
For other species a tiny gall midge fed on nectar at the spongy floral disc of male flowers and laid eggs in male flower buds, picking up pollen and contacting the styles of nearby female flowers in the process. Infested buds developed into sterile galls, within which midge larvae completed their development.
Nature is amazing!