Common name: Mat-rush
Lomandra confertifolia (F.M.Bailey) Fahn APNI* Description: Perennial herb with decumbent or erect, elongated stems or tufted with short erect stems.
Leaves 3.5–70 cm long, 0.3–2.5 mm wide; margins microscopically scabrous; apex 2- or 3-toothed, 1 or both lateral teeth exceeding the central.
Male inflorescence variable in size but usually rather small, branched or unbranched; scape flattened; flowers in whorled clusters or few-flowered alternate clusters. Female inflorescence often dissimilar, smaller, sometimes virtually concealed among leaf bases, often unbranched. Cluster bracts pointed, conspicuous or inconspicuous; bract and inner bract shorter than flower, truncate, brown or whitish. ellipsoidal or cylindrical, sessile; male flowers 3–3.5 mm long, females c. 4.5 mm long.Outer tepals shiny, scarious, purplish or yellow; inner tepals dull, fleshy, yellow or cream.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sclerophyll forest on various soil types; west to Rylstone district.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, CWS
Other Australian states: Qld Vic.
Text by A. L. Quirico
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Stem elongated, slender (old part of stem up to 4 mm diam.); leaves up to 20 cm long | 2 |
| Stem short, largely concealed by the leaves, or elongated, relatively stout (old part of stem 4.5 mm diam. or more); leaves >20 cm long | 3 |
| 2 | Leaves flat, rather flaccid, often curved, 8–25 cm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide; sheath margins slightly to much lacerated, red-brown. Stems extensive, ± erect, slender. Male inflorescence a quarter to a third as long as leaves, branched; branches few, alternate; scape shorter than rachis, sometimes concealed among leaf bases; flowers in whorled clusters. Female inflorescence smaller, almost concealed among leaf bases. Cluster bracts inconspicuous, fine-pointed, longer than flowers or, at upper nodes, shorter; cluster bracts, bract and inner bract brown to golden brown | subsp. similis |
| Leaves concavo-convex or channelled, 15–50 cm long, 0.3–1.5 mm wide; sheath margins lacerated, dark brown or reddish brown. Stems elongated, usually somewhat decumbent, rather stout. Male inflorescence 0.2–0.5 times as long as leaves, unbranched or with a few short branches; branches alternate; scape exposed for 1–12 cm; flowers in whorled clusters or 1–few-flowered alternate clusters. Female inflorescence poorly known, unbranched; scape short, exposed. Cluster bracts 0.5–4 cm long, shorter to longer than flower; bract and inner bract brown
Back to 1 | subsp. rubiginosa |
| 3 | Scape longer, usually several times longer than rachis. Stems usually ± elongated, erect to spreading, or occasionally rather decumbent. Leaves concavo-convex or channelled, straight, rather stiff, usually 30–70 cm long and 0.5–1.5 mm wide; sheath margins lacerated, pale brown or white. Male and female inflorescences similar, a third to three-quarters as long as leaves, unbranched or with short alternate or opposite branches; scape much longer than rachis; flower clusters few-flowered, whorled, or flower solitary. Cluster bracts rather inconspicuous, longer than flowers throughout or only in basal part of inflorescence; bract and inner bract brown or pale brown | subsp. leptostachya |
| Scape shorter than, or about as long as rachis
Back to 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Bracts brown; leaf sheath margins dark brown or reddish brown | subsp. rubiginosa |
| Bracts whitish; leaf sheath margins usually whitish, occasionally reddish brown. Plant tufted with short stems or stems elongated, erect or decumbent, sometimes branched. Leaves flat, concavo-convex or channelled, sometimes inrolled, 30–70 cm long, 1–2.5 mm wide; sheath margins intact or lacerated, usually whitish, occasionally reddish brown. Male inflorescence mostly about a quarter or occasionally half as long as leaves, usually branched; branches opposite or alternate; scape concealed or exserted, shorter than or equal to rachis; flower clusters whorled. Female inflorescence smaller, unbranched; scape concealed. Cluster bracts much longer than flowers, often fine, whitish; bract and inner bract whitish
Back to 3 | subsp. pallida |
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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