Blue Grass-lily - Caesia calliantha (Anthericaceae)

Blue Grass-lily 

Caesia calliantha (Anthericaceae)

Description: Tufted perennial herb

Habitat: Plains grassland

Distribution: Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

AVH (Australian Virtual Herbarium) distribution map.

 

Statis: Endangered

Plant Type: Herb

Plant size: 10-50cm x 10-50cm

Foliage: Basal tufted grass-like leaves up to 30cm in length and 1.5cm in width.

Flower: Star shaped flowers with 6 petals, lilac blue to deep blue in colour often with a metallic appearance. Flowers are in clusters of 2 or 3 on an erect stem up to 50cm in height. Flowering from September to February.

In the garden

 Moist soils which dry out in summer. Useful rockery plant; plant in groups for best results and may grow larger and flower for longer if summer moisture is available.

Comments: The edible root tubers were an important part of the aboriginal diet.⁽¹⁾

Further reading and links

Victorian Flora: http://www.victorianflora.wmcn.org.au/plantDetail.php?plantno=83.00000

PlantNET: New South Wales Flora Online: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Caesia~calliantha

References

            1. Australian Plant Society Maroondah, Inc. (2001). Flora of Melbourne: A guide to the Indigenous Plants of the Greater Melbourne Area. Hyland House