Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Stypandra glauca

Stypandra glauca

Family: Phormiaceae

Common name: Nodding Blue Lily

Flower and fruit: Flowers are deep blue, about 20mm across, with 6 stamens and yellow bearded filaments. Flowers are borne on nodding stalks in branching clusters at the ends of the stems. Fruit is a green three-valved capsule turning blue/purple when mature. Flowering Jul to Sep.

Leaves: Bluish-green leaves are stem-clasping, 5 to 20cm long, up to 10mm wide, smooth, and arranged alternately up the stem.

Habit and habitat: A tufted perennial herb up to a metre wide at the base and up to 1.5m high growing in sclerophyll forest and grassy woodland.

Alternate, stem-clasping leaves of Stypandra glauca

Fruit is green first, turning deep blue/purple

Habit and typical habitat of Stypandra glauca in The Pilliga