Common name: Woolly Mat-rush, Irongrass
Lomandra leucocephala (R.Br.) Ewart APNI* Synonyms: Xerotes leucocephala R.Br. APNI*
Description: Perennial tussock, small to robust; rhizomes ascending.
Leaves flat, rigid, coarsely veined, 20–60 cm long, 1–2.5 mm wide; apex acute to rounded; sheath margins white or orange-brown.
Inflorescence shorter than leaves, entire or in ± globose segments; pedicels embedded among hairs of modified bracts, male 1–3 mm long, female 1 mm long. Male and female flowers similar, sweetly scented. Tepals to 7 mm long, cream-coloured. Stamens inserted at top of tepal tube.
Flowering: chiefly July–September
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sclerophyll forest and on sand dunes often under mallee; widespread, especially in inland districts.
NSW subdivisions: NC, NWS, CWS, NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. N.T. S.A. W.A.
Intergrades occur between the subspecies in CWS, NWS & NWP.
Text by A. L. Quirico
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Leaf sheath margins long-decurrent, white, readily lacerating into abundant loose, silky or woolly, fragments; male inflorescence usually with 1 or 2 segments (north-eastern part of range). Plant slender, often <40 cm high. Leaves usually 1–2 mm wide. Male inflorescence usually with 1, 2 or 3 segments; female inflorescence usually not segmented, globose; scape minutely hirsute | subsp. leucocephala |
| Leaf sheath margins short, yellowish to orange-brown, the fragments few, woolly or fibrous, male inflorescence usually with >3 segments (southern and western parts of range). Plant generally robust, often 40–60 cm high. Leaves tough c. 1.5–5 mm wide. Male inflorescence usually with more than 3 segments; female inflorescence segmented or often entire, cylindrical; scape glabrous | subsp. robusta |
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.
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