Patersonia sericea

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Purple flag
Patersonia sericea.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Patersonia
Species:
P. sericea
Binomial name
Patersonia sericea
Synonyms [1]
  • Genosiris sericea(R.Br.) F.Muell.
  • Patersonia subalpinaF.Muell.

Patersonia sericea, commonly known as purple flag [2] or silky purple-flag [3] is a species of plant in the iris family Iridaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a densely-tufted perennial herb with linear, sword-shaped leaves, broadly egg-shaped, bluish-violet tepals and an oval capsule.

Contents

Description

The purple flag is a densely-tufted perennial herb growing to a height of up to 60 cm (24 in). It has linear, sword-shaped, grass-like green leaves 120–600 mm (4.7–23.6 in) long and 1–6 mm (0.039–0.236 in) wide. The flowering scape is 3–55 cm (1.2–21.7 in) long with the sheath enclosing the flowers egg-shaped to lance-shaped, dark brown to blackish, prominently veined and 20–60 mm (0.79–2.36 in) long. The outer tepals are bluish-violet, 20–30 mm (0.79–1.18 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) wide, the inner tepals about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and the stamen filaments 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and joined for part of their length. Flowering mainly occurs from June to November, each flower open for one day, but each stem producing many flowers. The fruit is an oval capsule 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) long. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy and naming

Patersonia sericea was first described in 1807 by Robert Brown in Curtis's Botanical Magazine , from specimens "...furnished us by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, of Hammersmith, West London who received the seeds, from which they raised it, from Port Jackson". [7] [8] The specific epithet (sericea) is derived from the Latin word sericus meaning "silken", [9] referring to the hairs at the base of the juvenile leaves. [10]

The names of two varieties of P. sericea are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Patersonia longifolia was described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen [14] [15] but reduced to a variety in 1893 by Charles Moore in the Handbook of the Flora of New South Wales. [16]

Distribution and habitat

Purple flag (var. longifolia) grows in open forest and heath on the coast and ranges on soils derived from sandstone, from the Hunter River in New South Wales to the Genoa River in far north-eastern Victoria. [2] [17] [18]

Silky purple-flag (var. sericea) is found in forest, woodland and heath on the coast and tablelands, and grows on soils derived from sandstone or granite, in south-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria. [3] [19] [20]

Conservation

Patersonia sericea is not considered to be at risk in the wild. [10]

Use in horticulture

It is a reliable species in cultivation, thriving in hot, dry situations and is also frost tolerant. It is useful grown en masse in a bed of perennial plants. [21]

Ecology

Patersonia sericea is used as larval food by two species of butterfly, the eastern iris-skipper (Mesodina halyzia) and montane iris-skipper (Mesodina aeluropis). [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Patersonia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Patersonia, commonly known as native iris or native flag and are native to areas from Malesia to Australia.

<i>Hibbertia sericea</i> Species of plant

Hibbertia sericea, commonly known as silky guinea-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with softly-hairy branches, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow flowers with eight to fourteen stamens in a cluster on one side of two hairy carpels.

<i>Wurmbea dioica</i> Species of plant

Wurmbea dioica, commonly known as early Nancy, is a species of plant in the family Colchicaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a herb with three linear to thread-like leaves and usually two to seven white flowers with a purple or greenish nectary band.

<i>Prostanthera ovalifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera ovalifolia, commonly known as the oval-leaf mintbush or purple mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with egg-shaped leaves and groups of mauve to deep blue-purple flowers arranged in groups at the ends of branchlets.

<i>Dianella revoluta</i> Species of flowering plant

Dianella revoluta, commonly known as blueberry lily, blue flax-lily, or black-anther flax-lily, a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae and is endemic to, and widespread in Australia. It is a tufted, perennial herb with grass-like leaves and up to nine blue or violet flowers with six tepals, and stamens with bright yellow filaments and pale brown to almost black anthers.

<i>Dillwynia sericea</i> Species of flowering plant

Dillwynia sericea, commonly known as showy parrot-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect to low-lying shrub with hairy stems, linear leaves and apricot-coloured flowers, usually with a red centre.

<i>Persoonia rigida</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia rigida, commonly known as the rigid-, hairy- or stiff geebung, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect to low-lying shrub with hairy young branchlets, lance-shaped to spatula-shaped leaves that are hairy when young, and yellow flowers borne in groups of up to twenty on a rachis up to 90 mm (3.5 in) long that continues to grow after flowering.

<i>Patersonia fragilis</i> Species of plant in the family Iridaceae

Patersonia fragilis, commonly known as swamp iris or short purple-flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae family and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a tufted perennial herb with linear, cylindrical leaves and pale violet to blue-violet flowers.

<i>Persoonia sericea</i> Species of shrub

Persoonia sericea, commonly known as the silky geebung, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with hairy yellow flowers and silky-hairy young branches and leaves.

<i>Prostanthera saxicola</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera saxicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with linear to elliptic leaves and white to mauve flowers arranged in leaf axils.

<i>Patersonia occidentalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Patersonia occidentalis, commonly known as purple flag, or long purple-flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a tufted, rhizome-forming perennial with narrow, sharply-pointed, strap-like leaves, egg-shaped, bluish violet sepals and a cylindrical capsule. The Noongar name for the plant is komma.

<i>Bossiaea sericea</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea sericea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to higher areas of south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with more or less round to heart-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow flowers.

<i>Dianella longifolia</i> Perennial herb

Dianella longifolia, commonly known as blueberry lily, pale flax lily or smooth flax lily, or blue flax-lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae and is endemic to non-arid areas of Australia. It is a tufted, rhizomatous, perennial herb with grass-like leaves, pale blue, white or greenish flowers that have pale yellow anthers, and shiny, pale blue berries.

<i>Pimelea curviflora</i> Species of plant

Pimelea curviflora, also known as curved rice-flower, is a shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, hairy shrub with greenish-yellow or red tubular flowers.

Pultenaea sericea, commonly known as chaffy bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small, straggling shrub with hairy branches, elliptic to linear leaves, and yellow and red to purple, pea-like flowers.

Patersonia argyrea is a species of plant in the iris family Iridaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a tufted perennial herb with linear, sword-shaped leaves and violet tepals.

<i>Patersonia glabrata</i> Species of plant in the family Iridaceae

Patersonia glabrata, commonly known as leafy purple-flag, or bugulbi in the Cadigal language, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae family and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a perennial herb or subshrub with linear leaves and pale violet flowers.

<i>Patersonia macrantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Patersonia macrantha is a species of plant in the iris family Iridaceae and is endemic to the northern part of the Northern Territory. It is a tuft-forming herb with linear to sword-shaped leaves and pale violet tepals.

Patersonia pygmaea is a species of plant in the iris family Iridaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tufted, rhizome-forming perennial herb with sword-shaped leaves and bluish-violet to purple tepals.

<i>Patersonia umbrosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Patersonia umbrosa, commonly known as yellow flags, is a species of plant in the iris family Iridaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a loosely-tufted, rhizome-forming, perennial herb with linear to sword-shaped leaves and deep bluish-violet or bright yellow tepals.

References

  1. 1 2 "Patersonia sericea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Patersonia sericea var. longifolia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Patersonia sericea var. sericea". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Conn, Barry J. "Patersonia sericea". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "Patersonia sericea". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia(. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Patersonia sericea". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  7. ↑ "Patersonia sericea". APNI. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Brown, Robert; Sims, John (ed.) (1807). "Patersonia sericea". Botanical Magazine. 26: 1041. Retrieved 5 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  9. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 697.
  10. 1 2 "Patersonia sericea". Australian Native Plant Society (Australia). Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Patersonia sericea var. longifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  12. 1 2 Sauquet, Hervé. "Patersonia sericea". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Patersonia sericea var. sericea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Patersonia longifolia". APNI. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  15. ↑ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805. Vol. 1. London. p. 303. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  16. ↑ "Patersonia sericea var. longifolia". APNI. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "Patersonia sericea var. longifolia". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  18. ↑ Conn, Barry J. "Patersonia sericea var. longifolia". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  19. ↑ Conn, Barry J. "Patersonia sericea var. sericea". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  20. ↑ "Patersonia sericea var. sericea". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  21. ↑ "Patersonia species". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  22. ↑ Braby, Michael F. (2004). The complete field guide to butterflies of Australia (Reprinted with corrections. ed.). Collingwood, Vic.: CSIRO. p. 86. ISBN   0643090274 . Retrieved 5 November 2021.
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