NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Description: Plant 65–135 cm tall. Bulb to 25 mm diameter, 6–21 cm below the soil surface, dark orange.

Basal leaves 4–6; lamina linear, flat, 350–1060 mm long, 1.5–6(–7) mm wide. Leaves on scape 3 or 4(5), green, transitioning to glaucous-green bracts, lowest bract to 210 mm long.

Inflorescence one (rarely 2) per plant, paniculate; scape 620–1310 mm long, glaucous-green; flowering portion from lowest major branch 150–450 mm long, with 4–6 primary branches 70–450 mm long, the branches widely spreading at 45–90° from main axis, secondary branching well developed, sometimes repeatedly; flowers in small dense cymose aggregations terminal on the main axis and major and secondary branches, 4–6(–8) in terminal aggregation, 2–4 in branch aggregations; terminal aggregation slightly exceeding, equalling or slightly shorter than those on the branches. Pedicels 6–12 mm long. Bracteoles 2, similar or the lower broader, the texture fairly thick, opaque, without a differentiated broad membranous margin, veins several, obscure; lower bracteole 3.5–8 mm long, narrowly ovate, ovate or obovate, acute; upper bracteole 4.5–7 mm long, ovate to narrowly oblong, acute to obtuse, attached 1.9–3.5 mm below the flower base, the apex at base or to c. 1/4(–1/2) of the flower length. Flowers (10–)11–14 mm long; sepals similar to petals but 1–1.5 mm shorter, narrowly oblong to almost lanceolate, dark brownish, to dark greenish brown towards base; petals 10–13 mm long, dark brownish, sometimes with a purple tint. Stamens equal, enclosed in perianth; filaments 6–7 mm long, yellowish; anthers versatile, 3.2–3.7 mm long, yellow, the tip 2.3–4.1 mm below petal apex. Style (8.5–)10–12 mm long, orange-red at apex, pale green in lower 1/3, longer than the petals by 0.3–1.8 mm; stigma entire, slightly capitate, positioned 3–4.1 mm above the anther tips, exceeding petal tips by 0.3–1.8 mm.

Fruits mid-brown, sometimes with a reddish tint, glossy, 9–14 mm diameter. Seeds black, winged-discoid, 6–7 mm long, 4–5 mm wide.

Illustration C. Wardrop

Flowering: Flowering from November to December. Fruiting from December to January.

Distribution and occurrence: From the Central Coast region around Newcastle, between Charmhaven and Port Stephens, with additional records from as far south as the Georges River and Royal National Park, NSW.

Growing in deep coastal sand or dry sclerophyll forest, usually near the coast or tidal rivers.
NSW subdivisions: CC, NC

AVH map***

Previously included under a broad concept of Haemodorum planifolium which has a more compact inflorescence with short, relatively erect lateral branches with 5-11 flowers per cymose cluster.