Dianella caerulea

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Dianella caerulea
Dianella caerulea flowers.jpg
At Mount Archer National Park, Queensland
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Hemerocallidoideae
Genus: Dianella
Species:
D. caerulea
Binomial name
Dianella caerulea

Dianella caerulea, commonly known as the blue flax-lily, blueberry lily, [2] or paroo lily, [3] is a perennial herb of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, found across the eastern states of Australia and Tasmania. It is a hardy plant, growing to a height and width of around 1 meter with grass-like strappy leaves. Blue flowers in spring and summer are followed by indigo-coloured berries. It adapts readily to cultivation and is commonly seen in Australian gardens and amenities plantings.

Contents

Taxonomy

It was first described by English taxonomist John Sims in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1802. Its specific name is the Latin adjective caerulea "blue". [4] The genus name is derived from the Roman goddess Diana, with a diminutive suffix -ella. [3]

Dianella caerulea is highly variable species, with many forms found throughout eastern Australia. [3] Six varieties are known from the Sydney district alone. [5]

The species is described as having seven varieties, having been revised by Queensland botanist Rod Henderson in 1987 for the Flora of Australia:

Description

Habit Dianella caerulea plant.jpg
Habit
Fruit Dianella caerulea fruit.jpg
Fruit

Dianella caerulea is a strappy herbaceous fruit bearing plant to about 1 metre (3 ft) high, with a thick spreading rhizome under the ground. The bright green leaves have straight or toothed margins, and may reach 75 cm (30 in) in length and 0.3-2.5 cm wide. The small (1-1.6 cm diameter) flowers bloom in spring and summer (August to January); the perianth is pale to a dark blue, or green-blue, and the anthers at the centre are yellowy brown. These are followed by small roughly spherical indigo-coloured berries which range from about 0.7 to 1.2 cm (0.3-0.5 in) in diameter. [12] These fruit are edible.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is distributed through a range in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Queensland. It occurs in a wide range of habitats, from coastal heathland and even sand dunes. [3]

Dianella caerulea has been introduced to Oahu, Hawaii. [13]

Cultivation

Image in Curtis' The Botanical Magazine The Botanical Magazine Vol 15 Plate 505 - Dianella caerulea (Blue Dianella).jpg
Image in Curtis' The Botanical Magazine

Believed to have been first propagated in England in 1783, Dianella caerulea is commonly cultivated in gardens, and is sometimes seen as a low-hedging plant in public spaces and amenities plantings. It is very hardy and long-lived, and suitable for rockeries. [3] It is tolerant of poor drainage and responds well to extra moisture. Plants attract fruit-eating birds and butterflies in garden settings. [14] The smaller denser forms in particular have potential for small gardens. [15]

Plant Hardiness

Dianella caerulea is a very hardy (snow and frost hardy) and long-lived plant once established. It can tolerate damp conditions but prefers moist well drained soil. It adapts readily to cultivation. [16]

Harvesting

The berries can be harvested in late summer or early autumn as soon as they turn a royal blue color. They contain small black seeds with a nutty flavor and can be eaten fresh or used in baked goods. Correct species identification needs to be ensured as some Dianella species have toxic berries. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Nymphaea nouchali <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> caerulea</i> Species of plant

Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea, is a water lily in the genus Nymphaea, a botanical variety of Nymphaea nouchali.

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

Bertya is a genus of plants in the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1845. The entire genus is endemic to Australia.

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

Beyeria is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the family Euphorbiaceae known as turpentine bushes. It was first described as a genus in 1844. The entire genus is endemic to Australia.

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

Pseudanthus is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Picrodendraceae, and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Pseudanthus are small, heath-like, monoecious shrubs with simple, leathery leaves, and flowers arranged in upper leaf axils, male flowers usually with three or six stamens and female flowers with three styles.

<i>Melastoma affine</i> Species of shrub

Melastoma affine, also known by the common names blue tongue or native lassiandra, is a shrub of the family Melastomataceae. Distributed in tropical and sub-tropical forests of India, South-east Asia and Australia, it is a plant of rainforest margins. Bees are the principal pollinators of this species.

<i>Dianella</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Dianella is a genus of about forty species of flowering plants in the monocot family Asphodelaceae, commonly known as flax lilies. Plants in this genus are tufted herbs with more or less linear leaves and bisexual flowers with three sepals more or less similar to three petals and a superior ovary, the fruit a berry. They occur in Africa, South-east Asia, the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia.

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

Ricinocarpos is a genus of evergreen flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Ricinocarpos are monoecious shrubs with leaves arranged alternately along the branches, the edges curved downwards or rolled under. Male flowers are arranged singly or in racemes at the ends of branchlets, with four to six sepals that are fused at the base. There are four to six petals that are longer than the sepals, with many stamens fused to form a central column. Female flowers are arranged singly and are similar to male flowers but with three styles fused at the base and with a deeply branched tip. The fruit is a capsule containing seeds with an elaiosome.

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

Dianella tasmanica, commonly known as the Tasman flax-lily or Tasmanian flax-lily is a herbaceous strappy perennial herb of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, found in southeastern Australia including Tasmania. It has leaves to 80 cm, and a flower stem to 1.5 m. Blue flowers in spring and summer are followed by violet berries. It adapts readily to cultivation and is commonly seen in Australian gardens. Unlike other Dianella species, its fruit is toxic.

<i>Alpinia caerulea</i> Species of plant in the family Zingiberaceae

Alpinia caerulea, commonly known as native ginger or Australian ginger, is an understorey perennial herb in the family Zingiberaceae which grows in rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia.

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

Caesia is a genus of herbs in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, native to Australia, New Guinea, Madagascar and Southern Africa. The mostly 3-lobed seed capsules contain rounded black seeds. The genus was named in honour of Federico Cesi (1585-1630), an Italian scientist.

<i>Stypandra glauca</i> Species of plant

Stypandra glauca, commonly known as the nodding blue lily, is a flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant with blue lily-like flowers with yellow stamens. It is widespread across southern areas of Australia.

<i>Triplarina</i> Genus of shrubs

Triplarina is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. They are Baeckea-like shrubs with small leaves arranged in opposite pairs and flowers with five sepals, five more or less round petals, and fourteen to eighteen stamens that are shorter than the petals. Species of Triplarina occur in New South Wales and Queensland usually growing in woodland or forest.

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

Thelionema is a small genus of tufted perennials in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae. All three species, which were previously placed in the genus Stypandra, are native to Australia. These are:

<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>Leucochrysum albicans</i> Species of flowering plant

Leucochrysum albicans, commonly known as hoary sunray, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a small perennial with grey leaves, white or yellow flower-heads and is endemic to Australia.

<i>Nymphaea gigantea</i> Species of plant in the family Nymphaeaceae

Nymphaea gigantea, commonly known as the giant waterlily or blue waterlily, is a perennial, herbaceous plant in the family Nymphaeaceae which is native to parts of northern and eastern Australia, and it has been widely cultivated elsewhere. It is an aquatic plant whose natural habitat is permanent and semi-permanent still water bodies

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Herbarium of New South Wales</span> Centre for plant research in Sydney, Australia

The National Herbarium of New South Wales was established in 1853. The Herbarium has a collection of more than 1.4 million plant specimens, making it the second largest collection of pressed, dried plant specimens in Australia, including scientific and historically significant collections and samples of Australian flora gathered by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during the voyage of HMS Endeavour in 1770.

<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.

Dianella brevipedunculata is a species of flax lily native to Eastern Australia. It is known as the blue flax lily.

References

  1. IPNI: Phormiaceae Dianella caerulea Sims Bot. Mag. 15: t. 505. 1801
  2. "Dianella caerulea". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Elliot, Rodger W; Jones, David L; Blake, Trevor (1984). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation: Volume 3. Port Melbourne: Lothian Press. p. 259. ISBN   0-85091-167-2.
  4. Simpson DP (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5th ed.). London: Cassell Ltd. ISBN   0-304-52257-0.
  5. Fairley A, Moore P (2000). Native Plants of the Sydney District: An Identification Guide (2nd ed.). Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press. p. 361. ISBN   0-7318-1031-7.
  6. Wilson, K. L. "Dianella caerulea var. assera R.J.F.Hend". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  7. Wilson, K. L. "Dianella caerulea var. cinerascens R.J.F.Hend". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  8. Wilson, K. L. "Dianella caerulea var. petasmatodes R.J.F.Hend". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  9. Wilson, K. L. "Dianella caerulea var. producta R.J.F.Hend". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  10. Wilson, K. L. "Dianella caerulea var. protensa R.J.F.Hend". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  11. Wilson, K. L. "Dianella caerulea var. vannata R.J.F.Hend". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  12. Wilson, K. L. (1999). "Dianella caerulea Sims". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  13. Evenhuis, Neal L.; Eldredge, Lucius G. (22 June 2012). "Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011" (PDF). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113: 18. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  14. Elliot, Rodger (1994). Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Lothian. p. 39. ISBN   0-85091-628-3.
  15. Thompson, Paul (2002). Australian Planting Design. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Lothian. p. 144. ISBN   0-7344-0438-7.
  16. "Blue Flax Lily | Blueberry Lily – Dianella caerulea » Fruit and Nut Trees – Fruiting Plants". Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  17. Hird, Annette (2023-07-13). "How to Grow and Care For Dianella caerulea (Blue Flax Lily) | Ultimate Backyard" . Retrieved 2023-09-23.

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