Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Lomandra longifolia Labill.


Grass
Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall)
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Flowers. © Australian Plant Image Index (APII). Photographer: M. Fagg.
Herbarium specimen. © CSIRO
Family

Labillardiere, J.J.H. de (1805) Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen 1(12): 92. Type: in capite Van-Diemen.

Common name

Spiny-headed Mat-Rush

Stem

Strongly tufted perennial.

Leaves

Leaves distichous, leaf sheath glossy dark reddish brown; leaves flat, 50-100 x 0.45-0.75 cm, glabrous; leaf blade with prominent venation; leaf margin thickened, entire to strongly serrulate, apices mostly with 3 teeth.

Flowers

Inflorescence male or female; stem flattened; branches distichous, 8-15 cm long; scape distinct, flower clusters whorled; male inflorescence much shorter than the leaves. Cluster bracts rigid, 15-18 mm long. Flower bracts parchment-like. Flowers sessile, ellipsoidal to cylindrical. Sepals shiny, scarious, yellow to purplish. Petals boat-shaped, with a thick fleshy ridge on inside, longer than sepals, cream to yellow. Male flowers 3-3.5 mm long, female flowers 4-4.5 mm long.

Fruit

Features not available.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as Tasmania. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1000 m. Grows in rainforest, Eucalypt forest, various types of woodland, beach scrubland, heathland and wooded grassland.

Natural History & Notes

Foodplant for the instar larvae of Skipper butterflies (Common & Waterhouse 1972).

RFK Code
4281
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