Lomandra multiflora

A long-leaved clumping grass-like plant.

This Lomandra has a widespread distribution – found in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and also in Papua New Guinea.

In NSW, it grows in a range of habitats, from the coast to the far inland and is variable in leaf width. It is often found in dry sclerophyll forest and woodland as well as rocky shrublands, heathland and grasslands. It is often found on sandy soils but also heavier soils.

Lomandra are often referred to as “grasses” but they are not. They are a monocotyledonous plant – and are broadly related to plants like Vanilla and Chocolate Lillies (Arthropodium spp.), Fringe Lillies (Thysanotus spp.) and Asparagus spp. (This Editor assists people by advising to consider them a native version of a Clivia or Agapanthus – not too distantly related).

Lomandra spp. have simple and long leaves (“strappy”), usually linear and forming a clump on a contracted rhizome. This species has variable leaves to 90 cm long and 0.3 cm wide (sometimes very narrow), dark green with purple colouring at times, and with undivided (or entire) apices. The leaves also have longitudinal striations.

Lomandra spp. have male and female flowers on separate plants (a term called dioecious meaning “two houses”). Flowers have six “tepals” (3 petals and 3 sepals but difficult to tell which are which – a typical “lily” feature).

In this species, the inflorescences are a strong identification feature with narrow male and female flowers produced in similar arrangements of numerous whorled-clusters or heads, about 3 cm across and 1 cm wide, with each head separated along a single branch or branched structure; yellow-brown in colour.

Lomandra spp. produce a capsule. In this species, they are about 5 to 10 mm long, containing a single seed about 5 mm long.