Lomandra glauca
(R.Br.) Ewart Pale Mat-rushTussocks slender, sometimes loosely mat-forming. Leaves flat or slightly concave, erect or somewhat curved, c. 15–30 cm long, 0.8–1.5 mm wide, usually distinctly glaucous; basal sheath abruptly narrowed distally, soon shredding into fine fibres, usually brownish; apex rounded-truncate to shortly acute, sometimes with a minute central point. Male inflorescence simple or branched, usually from one-quarter to half as long as leaves; non-flowering axis not or shortly exposed above leaf-bases; female inflorescence a single globular cluster to c. 1 cm diam., subsessile. Bracts at the base of each cluster of flowers obscured by flowers, pale golden-brown. Flowers with outer and inner perianth yellow. Male flowers c. 2 mm long; female flowers c. 3 mm long. Pale Mat-rush. Flowers Sep.–Nov.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, RobP, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, Strz, VAlp. Also Qld, NSW. Recorded from heathland and heathy woodland in the Yarram–Sale area and from dryish, rocky sites inland and further to the east (e.g. Avon Wilderness, Buchan and Orbost areas, Howe Range).
A few specimens from the Yarram area appear rather intermediate between Lomandra glauca and L. nana, having leaf-sheaths which are shredded, pale and tapered gradually at the top, and inflorescences occasionally branched. With L. nana and L. collina, this species forms an exceedingly close and somewhat variable group of species. The extent of the observed morphological differences between the taxa may represent infraspecific rather than specific variation. Lee (1972) regarded these 3 taxa as subspecies of L. glauca. The status of the group requires further study.
Spinning
