Lepidobolus drapetocoleus
F.Muell. Scale ShedderStems up to c. 30 cm long, loosely flexuose. Rhizomes thick, woolly. Sheathing leaves 10–15 mm long, brown, paler towards margin, inner surface pale and shinning, loose, soon falling and lying at base of plant; apex subulate. Male spikelets (3–)5–7 mm long. Male flowers with 5 or 6 perianth parts; anthers exserted on slender filaments. Female spikelets 5–10 mm long; floral bracts tightly overlapping, longer than those of male spikelets, with divergent, black subulate apex. Style exserted and straight to curved. Flowers Oct.–Dec.(–Jul.).
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, HNF. Also SA. Confined to western Victoria, mostly in the drier, inland sandy heath-lands.
The male inflorescences are frequently affected by smuts, such that they are greatly enlarged, usually sterile and the floral bracts are modified to look superficially like fruits. The subulate apex of the bract resembles a persistent curved style base.
Conn, B.J. (1994). Restionaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 179–190. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
