Dianella atraxis

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:      Angiosperms > Monocots > Asparagales > Asphodelaceae > Dianella    altraxis        

Other links:     Living Atlas, Lucid

Plant  information

Common name:               Northern Flax Lily  

• Dianella; Lily, Northern Flax; 

Conservation status:   unknown

Etymology:   

Flowers:                  

• Inflorescence arising from the centre of the plant and often attaining a height of 1 m or more above the ground

• Tepals in two similar whorls

• Outer tepals (sepals) about 6-7 mm long. Inner tepals (petals) about 5-6 mm long

• Stamens six

• Filaments with a yellow swelling just below the anther

• Anthers about 3-4 mm long

• Ovules about 6-8 per locule

• Style filiform, stigma minute

Fruit:                         

• Fruits globular, about 6-8 mm diam

• Seeds black, about 2.6-3.5 mm long

• Testa smooth, minutely areolate to minutely colliculate

• Embryo tear drop shaped

Leaves:         

•  Leaf blade about 35-100 x 2-4 cm

• Closed sheath ('petiole') about 19-21 cm long above the sheathing base

• Margins finely toothed and similarly the midrib on the underside of the leaf blade

• Venation longitudinal and parallel

Stem & branches: 

• Grows to a height of 1-1.5 m but often flowers and fruits when smaller

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A large clump forming plant with blue flowers

Habitat:   

• Altitudinal range from near sea level to 500 m

• Grows in well developed lowland and upland rain forest

Distribution:                  

• Probably endemic to Queensland

• Occurs in CYP and NEQ

Additional notes:     

• Subfamily: Hemerocallidoideae

• Seedlings

  • Seed remaining attached to the seedling by a thread-like appendage

  • First leaves longitudinally channelled, base sheathing the stem and giving the seedling a fan-like appearance

  • At the tenth leaf stage: leaves basal, produced one after another out of the base of the previous leaf

  • Margin finely serrate with numerous small projecting teeth

  • Venation longitudinal and parallel to the midrib. Midrib finely serrate on the underside of the leaf blade

  • 'Petiole' sheathing, about 4.5 cm long

  • Leaves produced in two rows in one plane (distichous)

  • Seed germination time 71 days

• It is slowly being introduced to cultivation

Sources of information:

• https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Dianella_atraxis (2023)