Common name: Christmas Bells, Gadigalbudyari (Cadigal)
Blandfordia nobilis Sm. APNI*
Description: Tufted perennial herb.
Leaves to 75 cm long; lamina channelled, keeled, usually to 3 mm but up to 5 mm, wide, margins straight and slightly thickened, crenulate-scabrid or smooth.
Scape to c. 80 cm long and c. 6 mm diam.; inflorescence loosely racemose, 3–20-flowered; pedicels to 3.5 cm long, much longer than subtending bract. Perianth usually 2–3 cm long, brownish red with yellow lobes; tube narrowed in lower third, expanded and ± cylindrical above, to c. 1 cm wide at throat; lobes ovate, obtuse but apiculate, c. 5 mm long. Stamens attached just below middle of perianth tube; free part of filament 1.5–2 cm long; anther oblong, 2–2.8 mm long.
Capsule to c. 6 cm long including style; stipe to c. 2.5 cm long.
Flowering: late spring to summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sloping sandstone country and swampy areas in coastal districts and on the ranges; chiefly from Sydney to Milton and inland to Braidwood.
NSW subdivisions: CC, SC, CT, ST
A moderately variable species with extremes approaching B. grandiflora in the northern parts of its range, suggesting the species may hybridize.
Text by A. L. Quirico Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|