Dianella bambusifolia

Hallier f.

Flax lilies

Xanthorrhoeaceae Edible: Fruit 29 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A lily. It grows 1 m high. It forms tufts on slender thick stems. The leaves are simple and they have teeth on the edge towards the tip. They are 11-30 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. There is a sheath at the base and it is folded. The flowers are in a branched arrangement at the tip of the plant. The flowers have 6 tepals that are purple, blue or white. They are 4-5 mm long. The fruit is a berry. It can be blue or purple and is 4-7 mm long. The seeds are dark brown and 4 mm long.

Edible Uses

The fruit is eaten.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in the rainforest in northern Australia. It grows from sea level to 660 m altitude.

Where It Grows

Australia*, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG,

Notes

There are about 20-30 Dianella species. There are 15 species in Australia. Also put in the family Hemerocallidaceae.

References (4)

Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 396
Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A., and Seberg, O., 2007, Flowering Plant Families of the World. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. p 370 (Family)
Jackes, B.R., 2001, Plants of the Tropics. Rainforest to Heath. An Identification Guide. James Cook University. p 61
Low, T., 1991, Wild Food Plants of Australia. Australian Nature FieldGuide, Angus & Robertson. p 113