Lomandra rigida

Lomandra rigida, commonly known as stiff mat rush, is a herbaceous perennial plant endemic to the southern coast of Southwest Australia.

Lomandra rigida
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Lomandroideae
Genus: Lomandra
Species:
L. rigida
Binomial name
Lomandra rigida
Synonyms

Xerotes rigida (Labill.) R.Br.

Taxonomy

First described by Jacques Labillardière in 1805, using specimens he obtained while voyaging along the Australian coast. The type specimen is noted as collected "in terrâ Van-Leuwin".[1] The species was assigned to genus Xerotes by Robert Brown in 1810, this combination is currently regarded as a synonym for the original description.[2]

Description

A mat forming perennial plant, growing to a height between 0.1 to 0.3 metres.[3] They are a dioecious species, separated as male and female individuals, that present cream or yellow flowers around October to December.[3] The leaves terminate in a pair of spines.[4]

Ecology

Endemic to sand on granitic outcrops at the coast of the eastern Esperance Plains and offshore islands at the Recherche Archipelago.[4][1] The dense and spiny mats formed by the plant provides habitat for other organisms and a deterrent to herbivores, the assemblage of plants may include Caladenia heberleana and Anthocercis vicosa subsp. caudata.[4]

References

  1. "APNI - Lomandra rigida". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  2. "APC Format - Lomandra rigida". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  3. "Lomandra rigida". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  4. Nikulinsky, P.; Hopper, S.D. (2008). Life on the rocks : the art of survival (Revised ed.). Fremantle Press. pp. 178–79. ISBN 9781921361289.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.