Dianella revoluta

Location & distribution maps

Common name:         Blueberry Lily

Conservation status: ...

Etymology:   

Flowers

• The flowers are blue to violet and are arranged in groups of two to nine, each flower 10–20 mm wide on a pedicel 5–35 mm long

• The three sepals are 5.5–10 mm long with five to seven veins and the petals 5.2–9.5 mm long with five veins

• The stamen filaments are 0.6–2.3 mm long and bright yellow, the anthers 2.5–4.5 mm long and pale brown to almost black

• Flowering mainly occurs from spring to early summer

Fruit:                            

• A blue to purple berry, 4–10 mm long

Leaves:         

• The leaves are folded lengthwise and grass-like, 15–85 cm long and 3–23 mm wide

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A tufted, perennial herb with stems less than 15 cm long and touching or up to 30 cm apart

Habitat:   

• A wide range of habitats apart from very wet and very dry habitats

Distribution:                  

• It is common and widespread in all Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory but not the Northern Territory

Additional notes:   Taxonomy

• Taxonomy

  • Dianella revoluta was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen

  • Five varieties of D. revoluta are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

    • Dianella revoluta var. divaricata (R.Br.) R.J.F.Henderson

    • Dianella revoluta var. minor R.J.F.Henderson

    • Dianella revoluta R.Br. var. revoluta R.J.F.Henderson

    • Dianella revoluta var. tenuis R.J.F.Henderson

    • Dianella revoluta var. vinosa R.J.F.Henderson

• Uses

  • The berry of D. revoluta is reported to be edible

  • Dianella, Western Australia was named after this plant, which was plentiful in the area prior to the 1960s residential development

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianella_revoluta (2023)