Xanthorrhoea malacophylla | |
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Cultivated specimen in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asphodelaceae |
Subfamily: | Xanthorrhoeoideae |
Genus: | Xanthorrhoea |
Species: | X. malacophylla
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Binomial name | |
Xanthorrhoea malacophylla |
Xanthorrhoea malacophylla is a species of grasstree of the genus Xanthorrhoea. It is endemic to New South Wales, Australia. Mature plants form a single or branched trunk that ranges between 2 and 6 metres in height. The grass-like leaves, which are usually around 3 mm wide, are distinguished from other species by their softness and sponginess. [1] The flowers appear between May and September in scapes that are between 1.3 and 1.8 metres long. [2]
The species was first formally described in 1986 based on plant material collected in 1964 from Queens Lake State Forest near the town of Kew, Australia. [3] It occurs on steep hillsides in coastal ranges between Wyong and Casino.