NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Description: Plant 90–120 cm tall. Bulb 5–15 cm below the soil surface, red.

Basal leaves 3–7 (up to 18 when more than one inflorescence present); lamina linear, flat, (120–)180–390 mm long, 1.6–3.7(–5.7) mm wide. Leaves on scape (3)4(5), green, lowest bract to 250 mm long, reducing in size above and transitioning to blackish bracts within the flowering portion.

Inflorescence 1–3 per plant, paniculate; scape 890–1180 mm long, brownish; flowering portion 90–180 mm long from lowest major branch, with 1–4 major branches 60–90 mm long, the branches narrowly spreading at 10–40° from main axis; secondary branches (excluding within flower aggregations) 0–1, with flowers arranged in dense cymose aggregations, terminal on the main axis and each major and secondary branch (when present), flowers 13–21 in terminal aggregation, 7–14 in branch aggregations; terminal aggregation exceeded by those on the branches. Pedicels 4–10 mm long. Bracteoles 2, similar, 10–14 mm long, narrowly lanceolate to linear, acute to acuminate, opaque, the texture fairly thick, without a differentiated broad membranous margin, veins usually 5, obscure to slightly raised; upper bracteole attached 4–8 mm below the flower base, apex at c. 1/2 of the flower length. Flowers (13–)15–19 mm long; sepals similar to petals, subequal or 0.5–2 mm shorter, lanceolate, becoming narrowly linear when dried except for the broader unexpanded base which is 1.6–2.1 mm wide, mostly dark brownish but green at least on the expanded, somewhat saccate base; petals 12–17 mm long, orange-brown in lower part, dark brown to blackish in upper part. Stamens equal, enclosed in perianth; filaments 5.2–8.0 mm long; dull pink to orange-brown; anthers versatile, 3.8–5.1 mm long, yellow, the tip 3.6–5.0 mm below petal apex. Style 14–16 mm long, pink or red to orange or yellow in upper part, yellow to green in lower 1/2 at anthesis, usually longer than the petals by (0–)0.5–1 mm; stigma entire, slightly capitate, minutely papillose, positioned 3–5 mm above the tip of the anthers.

Fruits greenish to brownish black, glossy, 8–11 mm diameter. Seeds not seen.

Fruit Photo J. & P. Edwards

Flowering: Flowering from November to December (January). Fruiting from December to February.

Distribution and occurrence: On the Northern Tablelands and North Western Slopes of NSW and adjacent SE Queensland, between Stanthorpe and Walcha.

Grows in open woodland with Eucalypts and shrubby understorey over porphyry geology in coarse sands.
NSW subdivisions: NT, NWS
Other Australian states: Qld

AVH map***

Previously included under a broad concept of Haemodorum planifolium which has a somewhat shorter style, usually not exceeding the tepal apex.