Common name: False Onion Weed, Strapweed
Trachyandra divaricata (Jacq.) Kunth APNI* 
Description: Erect tufted herb to 70 cm high; rhizome compact; each clump producing several - numerous inflorescences.
Leaves 13–19, fleshy, flattened, 10–100 cm long, to 8 mm diam.; membranous sheaths 1–3.5 cm long, 5–6 mm wide.
Scape 10–30 cm long, 3–10 mm diam.; panicle more or less divaricately branched, 10–70 cm long, 19–58-flowered; pedicels 4–15 mm long; bracts 2–13 mm long, 1.5–10 mm wide. Tepals 4–13 mm long, 0.5–3 mm wide, white to very pale lilac, with brown central stripe, gold towards base, outer whorl more spreading. Stamens 7–9 mm long; filaments 5–9 mm long; anthers 1–1.5 mm long.
Capsule 3–10 mm long, 3–6 mm diam., red-brown to brown-black; seeds 1–2 mm long, red-brown to black, smooth.
Flowering: August–March
Distribution and occurrence: Native of Cape Province, S Afr. Grows on coastal sand dunes; naturalized from Anna Bay to Shellharbour area. Also naturalised along coast of SA, WA and Vic (one old record only).
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC
Other Australian states: *W.A. *S.A.
Dried inflorescence disperses as a tumbleweed (Heyligers 1999).
Text by D. C. Godden (1993); edited KL Wilson (May 2009; Oct 2015)
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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