Astelia alpina var. novae-hollandiae

Tufted 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.