Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Pollia crispata

Common name

Pollia

Family

Commelinaceae

Where found

Rainforest, rainforest margins, wet places, and along streams. Coast and ranges north from Nowra.

Notes

Perennial herb  to about 1 m high, creeping, rooting at the nodes. Leaves alternating up the stems, 10–19 cm long, 15–35 mm wide, hairless, tips pointed, basal sheath 2.5–3.5 cm long, the open top wavy. Flowers with 6 'petals', outer 'petals' white with brown specks and flecks, inner 'petals' white or sometimes blue, each 4–6 mm long. Usually 3 stamens producing pollen and 3 stamens not producing pollen. Flower clusters 3.5–5 cm long, not enclosed by a green spathe. Flowering: spring–autumn. Fruit blue, hard, very glossy, oval, 5-6 mm long.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Pollia~crispata (accessed 1 February, 2021)