Common name: Grass Tree
Xanthorrhoea australis R.Br. APNI* Synonyms: Xanthorrhoea australis R.Br. subsp. australis APNI*
Description: Trunk to 3 m high; stem often branched; crowns 1-many, each with young leaves in erect tuft, spreading with age; old leaves often reflexed, crown ± spherical.
Leaves quadrate-rhombic to transverse-rhombic in T.S., occasionally depressed-obtrullate, 1.2–3 mm wide, 1–2.2 mm thick, blue-grey, glaucous.
Scape 0.3–0.5 m long, 18–40 mm diam.; spike 2–6 times as long as scape, 110–180 cm long, rarely to 2.5 m, 5–8 cm diam.; cluster bracts very prominent, elongated, subulate, glabrous; packing bracts elongated, subulate, glabrous. Outer tepals triangular to narrow-triangular, with long beak, with proboscis, glabrous. Inner tepals erect to slightly recurved, with proboscis, glabrous except papillose hairs at apex.
Flowering: July–Dec.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sclerophyll forest, south of Nowra.
NSW subdivisions: SC, ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by D. J. Bedford
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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