Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Lomandra filiformis

Flowering plant (subsp. coriacea). Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Paul Hadobas, between Bungendore and Braidwood

Flowering plant. (subsp. coriacea). Photographer Don Wood, Black Mountain, Canberra

Flowering plant (subsp. filiformis). Photographer Don Wood, Namadgi National Park, ACT

Flowering plant (subsp. filiformis). Photographer Don Wood, Nadgee Nature Reserve south of Eden

Common name

Wattle mat-rush

Family

Asparagaceae

Where found

Dry forest, woodland, and grassy areas, often in rocky soils. Widespread.

subsp. coriacea  Widespread.

subsp. filiformis Widespread.

subsp. flavior   Coast and ranges north from near Kangaroo Valley, and south from Wadbilliga National Park west of Cobargo.

Notes

Tufted perennial herb, forming sparse tussocks or occasionally in short, dense mats to 20 cm diameter. Leaves basal, 7-47 cm long, 0.5-8.5 mm wide, green or glaucous; margins usually rough to some extent. Margins of the basal leaf sheaths eventually lacerated, whitish, occasionally more or less intact and purplish brown. Male and female flowers on different plants. Flowers with 6 'petals'. Male flowers globular, 1.5-2 mm long, outer 'petals' purplish, inner 'petals' cream to yellowish. Female flowers more tubular, about 3 mm long, often purplish. Inflorescence with the flowers separated. Male inflorescence branched or unbranched. Female inflorescence less branched, with a short or hidden axis below the flowers. Flowering: Sep.–Mar.

subsp. coriacea   Leaves flat or nearly so, leathery or firm, 7-47 cm long, 1.5–8.5 mm wide, tips entire, but easily eroded. Male inflorescence 30-180 mm long, often up to a half as long as the leaves, with a few branches; branches often whorled; axis of the inflorescence below the flowers shorter than the length of the inflorescence, often yellowish. Female inflorescence smaller, 20-170 mm long. Bracts below the individual flower clusters all small.

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

subsp. filiformis   Leaves very fine, channelled, folded, rolled upwards, or rarely flat, usually flexible, 6-41 cm long, 0.5–5 mm wide, tips minutely 1–3-pointed. Male inflorescence 20–100 mm long; unbranched to well-branched, usually slightly less than half as long as leaves, axis below the flowers often similar in length to the length of the inflorescence. Female inflorescence similar, 30-70 mm long . Bracts below the individual flower clusters all small.

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

subsp. flavior  Leaves rolled or flat, usually very tough, 30–40 cm long, about 2 mm wide, tips minutely 1–3-pointed. Male inflorescence about 30–70 mm long, a quarter to a third as long as leaves, branched; axis of the inflorescence below the flowers often yellowish, shorter than the inflorescence; sometimes partly hidden by the leaf bases. Female inflorescence more condensed, as little as one-seventh as long as the leaves. Bracts subtending the branches of the flower clusters large, white or whitish; smaller at the upper nodes.

Family Lomandraceae in PlantNET.

PlantNET description of species and key to subspecies:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Lomandra~filiformis (accessed 13 April 2021)