Cordyline cannifolia, one of several plants known as palm lily, is a species of evergreen shrub in the family Asparagaceae. It is known to occur in the Australian states of Queensland and the Northern Territory and may possibly occur in New Guinea. It was first described by botanist Robert Brown in 1810.
Cordyline cannifolia is an open, erect, often single-stemmed shrub which generally grows to a height of about 3m (9.8ft), although it may reach 5m (16ft). The stem and branches carry numerous scars where leaves were attached. Large simple leaves are produced towards the end of the stem and branches, and are arranged alternately. They are mid green above, and the underside is matt blue-green (glaucous) with the numerous secondary veins quite apparent. The leaves measure between about 20 and 50cm (8 and 20in) long and about 5 to 12cm (2.0 to 4.7in) wide, and are held on a petiole that may be anywhere between 5 and 20cm (2 and 8in) long. The petiole is "grooved" above, often so much so that it has a U-shaped cross section, and the base clasps the stem, overlapping the petiole base of the younger leaf above it.[4][5][6]
The inflorescence is a panicle up to 25cm (10in) long, with numerous flowers attached to it by short stalks about 2mm (0.08in) long. The flowers have five petals about 7mm (0.28in) long, five stamens and one style. The red fruit are, in botanical terms, a berry about 1cm (0.4in) diameter with up to six small black seeds inside.[4][5][6]
Three other names have been published for this species – in 1825, German botanist Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel published the name Sanseviera cannifolia,[8] Belgian botanist Henri Guillaume Galeotti published the name Dracaena cannifolia in 1857,[9] and English botanist John Gilbert Baker published the combination Cordyline terminalis var. cannifolia in 1875.[10] None of these are now accepted and all are considered synonyms of C.cannifolia.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Collections of this species have been made along almost the entire east coast of Queensland, from the top of Cape York Peninsula south to K'gari (Fraser Island), but the bulk of the collections are in or near the Wet Tropics bioregion around Cairns.[11] It also occurs in the northeastern part of the Northern Territory, and there is a single record of collection from Papua New Guinea on GBIF.[12] The latter is considered to be doubtful.[3]
The plant inhabits rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, at altitudes from sea level to about 1,200m (3,900ft).[4][5]
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Habit, with single stem
Habit, branched
Upper and lower sides of the leaf
Fruit
