Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Wurmbea dioica subsp. dioica

Male flowers. Photographer Richard Hartland, Beaufort, Vic?

Male plant. Photographer Don Wood, Gungahlin Hill, ACT

Female flowers. Photographer Richard Hartland, Beaufort, Vic?

Female plant. Photographer Don Wood, Gungahlin Hill, ACT

Common name

Early Nancy

Family

Colchicaceae

Where found

Forest, woodland, grassy areas, damp sites, and near swamps. Widespread.

Notes

Perennial herb to 0.4 m tall. Hairless. Flower stalk zig-zags between the flowers. Leaves 3, alternating up the stem, well separated or occasionally the lower 2 at the base of the plant, 1-35 cm long, the lowest leaf threadlike or linear, 0.2–5 mm wide, second leaf threadlike or lance head shaped and tapering, the base dilated or occasionally like the lowest leaf; upper leaf dilated and with a short or long narrow portion at the top. Male and female flowers on separate plants or on the same plant, sometimes male, female, and bisexual flowers on the one plant, or all flowers bisexual. Flowers creamy white, occasionally flushed pink, with a blackish, purple, reddish purple, or greenish band and often a purple centre, sweetly scented, with 6 'petals' each 3.5-11.5 mm long, fused towards the base. Flower clusters 1-15 flowered. Flowers Winter to Spring.

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

PlantNET description:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Wurmbea~dioica~subsp.+dioica (accessed 8 February, 2021)