Dianella

Lamarck ex Jussieu

Gen. Pl., 41. 1789.

Common names: Flax-lily
Etymology: Latin Diana, Roman sylvan goddess, and - ella, diminutive suffix, alluding to the forest habitat and small stature
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 221. Mentioned on page 57.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA26 Plate 030.jpegHemerocallis fulva
Dianella ensifolia
Hesperocallis undulata
Hosta plantaginea
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Herbs, perennial, evergreen, scapose, mat-forming, from stout, creeping, scaly rhizomes with fibrous, tuberous roots. Leaves basal, radical, distichous, crowded, sheathing, firm to subcoriaceous; blade linear to broadly ensiform, basal sheaths connate into short tubes, margins entire or serrulate, apex obtuse. Scape elongate, 0.5–1 m. Inflorescences paniculate, loosely branching with short, terminal racemes, bracteate; bracts small. Flowers nodding to ascending; tepals 6, persistent, withering, distinct, subequal, narrowly oblong to ovate, 3–7-veined; stamens 6, distinct; filaments barely adnate to tepal bases, thickened distally; anthers basifixed, dehiscence extrorse, opening by terminal pores that become longitudinal slits; ovary superior, 3-locular, septal nectaries present; style filiform; stigma minute, capitate; pedicel slender, articulate distally. Fruits rather long-persistent, baccate, blue to bluish purple, ovoid-globose. Seeds black, lustrous, ovate, somewhat flattened. x = 8.

Distribution

Introduced; tropical Africa, Asia, Australia, and Polynesia

Discussion

Species 12–20 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

"broad" is not a number."thicker" is not a number.

... more about "Dianella"
cordate +  and linear +
Frederick H. Utech +
Lamarck ex Jussieu +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
dilated +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
linear +  and broadly ensiform +
sheathing +  and involucrate +
1;several +
tunicate +  and scaly +
Flax-lily +
tropical Africa +, Asia +, Australia +  and and Polynesia +
Latin Diana, Roman sylvan goddess, and - ella, diminutive suffix, alluding to the forest habitat and small stature +
connate-coroniform +  and dilated +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
nodding +  and ascending +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
blue;bluish purple +
indehiscent +, septicidal +  and loculicidal +
long-persistent +
ovoid-globose +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
bracteate +  and branching +
crowded +  and distichous +
persistent +
radical +  and basal +
firm +  and subcoriaceous +
serrulate +  and entire +
many;several +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
elongate +
50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
wind-distributed +
1 +  and many +
flattened +  and ovate +
staminodial +
1 +  and several +
3 +  and 1 +
filiform +
Dianella +
Liliaceae +
persistent +
distinct +
narrowly oblong +  and ovate +
subequal +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
evergreen +  and perennial +
herb +  and mat-forming +
3 +  and 2 +