Lomandra longifolia Labill.

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Asparagaceae > Lomandra

Characteristics

A tussock or rush like plant. It grows 1 m high. It spread 60 cm to 1 m wide. It keeps growing from year to year. The root system is crowded into a clump. The leaves are long and narrow. They are tough but flexible. They can be 1 m long by 1 cm wide. They have flat or slightly in-rolled edges. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. They are tiny and cream coloured. They are about 4 mm long and grouped in clusters 1-2 cm long. These are also grouped along flattened flowering branches 60 cm long. There is a sharp pointed spiny bract 2 cm long at the base of each flower. They flowers are fragrant.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It grows from temperate to tropical regions. It grows along creek banks. It occurs in coastal heaths, in dry open forests. It needs well drained soil. It can stand light frost. In Tasmania it grows from sea level to 750 m altitude. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Hobart Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 8-12. Tasmanian Herbarium.
More
Banks of creeks, rocky hillsides, cliffs and open forests, in sandy soils in swamps and wet places to the montane zone.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

The white leaf bases are edible and have a flavour like green peas. The flowers are eaten raw. The flowers are also soaked in lemon juice and strained to make a juice drink. The seeds are ground for use in damper.
Uses fiber material
Edible flowers leaves seeds
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed or by division of the clump.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Lomandra longifolia leaf picture by Liam York (cc-by-sa)
Lomandra longifolia leaf picture by Jessy Wonder (cc-by-sa)
Lomandra longifolia leaf picture by Marianne Dwyer (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Lomandra longifolia fruit picture by Liam York (cc-by-sa)

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:443678-1
WFO ID wfo-0000753754
COL ID 3VW5T
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Lomandra longifolia Xerotes longifolia Xerotes arenaria Lomandra longifolia subsp. exilis Xerotes longifolia var. macrocarpa Xerotes longifolia var. arenaria