Thysanotus tuberosus
Encyclopedia
Thysanotus tuberosus, known as the Common Fringe-lily is a perennial herb
which is endemic to Australia
. The species name tuberosus refers to the crisp tasting edible root.
The leaves are linear in shape, and round at cross section towards the top. The plant grows from 20 cm to 60 cm tall.
It grows in a wide variety of situations, from semi-arid parts of south eastern Australia to coastal areas receiving more than 1300 mm of rain per year. They are often found in open country, heathlands or in dry sclerophyll woodland.
Flowers form from September to April. The three petaled flowers are purple, with frilly edges, and only last for one day. They are among the more strikingly beautiful wildflowers in south eastern Australia.
s are somewhat longer and wider in subsp. tuberosus, being 10 to 19 mm long, and around 10 mm wide. In subsp. parviflorus the inner anthers are smaller, and straight to slightly curved.
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
which is endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The species name tuberosus refers to the crisp tasting edible root.
The leaves are linear in shape, and round at cross section towards the top. The plant grows from 20 cm to 60 cm tall.
It grows in a wide variety of situations, from semi-arid parts of south eastern Australia to coastal areas receiving more than 1300 mm of rain per year. They are often found in open country, heathlands or in dry sclerophyll woodland.
Flowers form from September to April. The three petaled flowers are purple, with frilly edges, and only last for one day. They are among the more strikingly beautiful wildflowers in south eastern Australia.
Sub-species
The tepalTepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s are somewhat longer and wider in subsp. tuberosus, being 10 to 19 mm long, and around 10 mm wide. In subsp. parviflorus the inner anthers are smaller, and straight to slightly curved.