Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Lomandra leucocephala subsp. leucocephala

Male flowers
Family:  Lomandraceae

Common name: Woolly Mat Rush, Irongrass.

Flowers: Inflorescences are shorter than the leaves. Male inflorescences are arranged in 2 or 3 globose segments to one stem. There is generally only one female inflorescence per stem. Flowers mainly from July to September. [Note: at this point I believe there are separate male and female plants, but I will do some more observation, and record findings here.]

Leaves: Leaves are up to about 50cm high (but often much shorter) and 2 to 3mm wide with white leaf margins readily separating into loose silky or wooly 'strings'.

Habit: Upright or spreading tussock, single or scattered plants.

Habitat: Lomandra leucocephala subsp. leucocephala grows in dry schlerophyll forests on sandy soils or rocky slopes in the Pilliga and throughout northwest and central western NSW, extending into similar habitat in southwestern Qld.
Female flowers

Close-up of female flowers

Silky strings on leaves

Lomandra leucocephala ssp leucocephala on sandy soil in the Pilliga