Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Dianella odorata Blume


Grass
Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall)
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Herbarium specimen. © DERM
Family

Blume, C.L. von (1828) Enumeratio Plantarum Javae 2: 12. Type: Crescit in hortis Indiae orientalis frequenter colitur.

Stem

A tufted solitary plant up to 1.25 m tall; tufts 0.5 m wide at base. Stems up to 80 cm long.

Leaves

Leaves 19-40 cm long; lamina about 19-60 x 0.9-2.2 cm, ca. flat, cucullate, obtuse; petioles about 10 cm long, winged and V-shaped in transverse section; sheath conduplicate, moderately occluded distally.

Flowers

Inflorescence exceeding leaves, narrowly cylindrical in outline; cymules condensed, usually 3-6 -flowered; pedicels 12-25 mm long and evenly rounded. Perianth segments narrowly ovate to elliptic, obtuse, mid-blue to violet. Sepals 7.5-8.5 mm long, 5-7 -nerved. Filament swelling 0.6-1.1 mm long, yellow; anthers 3.5-4.8 mm long, pale yellow. Ovules 4-8 per locule.

Fruit

Berry blue to purple, 5-8 mm long. Seed 3.5-4 mm long; testa minutely areolate and alveolate, black, shiny.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in WA (?), NT, CYP and NEQ as far south as Hinchinbrook Island. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 180 m. Grows in rainforest, Eucalypt forest, vineforest, melaleuca forest, Eucalypt woodland and heathland. Also from Indonesia.

RFK Code
4064
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