Astelia alpina var. novae-hollandiae
Pineapple GrassTufted herbs to c. 30 cm high, with a short, branching rhizome. Leaves linear, 5–40 cm long, 0.5–3 cm wide, with a silvery indumentum at least on the undersurface, long silky hairs basally. Scape bracts small, inconspicuous. Male inflorescence exserted beyond leaf bases, 3–10 cm long, open, many-flowered. Female inflorescence contracted, few-flowered, to 2.5 cm long. Flowers with sepals slightly longer than petals, white or greenish-yellow. Male flowers with segments 2–4 mm long; stamens c. 1.5 mm long; ovary rudimentary. Female flowers with segments 4–6 mm long; staminodes rudimentary; ovary 5–7 mm long, 1-locular. Berry long-ovoid, 6–10 mm long, red; seeds 4–8, c. 1.7–1.9 mm long. Flowers Nov.–Mar.
HSF, HNF, VAlp. Scattered but locally common in and around bogs and mossbeds in the alps, above c. 1350 m (e.g. Lake Mountain, Baw Baws, Mt Wellington, Mt Buffalo, Bogong High Plains, the Cobberas, etc.).
All mainland representatives of the species are referable to var. novae-hollandiae, var. alpina being confined to Tasmania and distinguished by its generally longer leaves, larger female flowers and more numerous-seeded berries.
Conran, J.G. (1994). Liliaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 637–686. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
