Dianella (plant)


Dianella is a genus of about forty species of flowering plants in the monocot family Asphodelaceae, commonly known as flax lilies. Plants in this genus are tufted herbs with more or less linear leaves and bisexual flowers with three sepals more or less similar to three petals and a superior ovary, the fruit a berry. They occur in Africa, South-east Asia, the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia.
Several species of this genus, or the whole genus, are sometimes referred to by the common name blue flax lily, particularly in Australia.

Description

Plants in the genus Dianella are tufted perennial, rhizomatous herbs with fibrous or fleshy roots, more or less linear leaves with their bases overlapping, bisexual flowers with three sepals more or less similar to three blue, purple or white petals and a superior ovary, and the fruit a berry.

Taxonomy

The name Dianella was first formally published by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1786 in his Encyclopédie Méthodique, but this did not validly establish the name because Lamarck did not include a description of the new genus. Antoine Laurent de Jussieu made it a correct name in 1789 when he published a description in the first edition of his Genera Plantarum. The name Dianella is a reference to the Roman goddess Diana with the suffix ella meaning "small".
The genus Dianella is closely related to Thelionema and Herpolirion.

Distribution and habitat

Plants in the genus Dianella occur in Africa, South-east Asia, the Pacific Islands including Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. About half of the species are native to Australia.

Species list

The following is a list of Dianella species accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as at October 2020:Dianella acutifolia Schlittler - New CaledoniaDianella adenanthera R.J.F.Hend. - numerous Pacific IslandsDianella amoena G.W.Carr & P.F.Horsfall - Tasmania, VictoriaDianella atraxis R.J.F.Hend. - QueenslandDianella bambusifolia Hallier f. - Queensland, New GuineaDianella brevicaulis G.W.Carr & P.F.Horsfall - southern AustraliaDianella brevipedunculata R.J.F.Hend. - QueenslandDianella caerulea Sims - New Guinea, eastern Australia
  • * Dianella caerulea var. aquilonia R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella caerulea var. assera R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella caerulea Sims var. caerulea
  • * Dianella caerulea var. cinerascans R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella caerulea var. petasmatodes R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella caerulea var. producta R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella caerulea var. protensa R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella caerulea var. vannata R.J.F.Hend.Dianella callicarpa G.W.Carr & P.F.Horsfall - VictoriaDianella carolinensis Lauterb. - MicronesiaDianella congesta R.Br. - Queensland, New South WalesDianella crinoides R.J.F.Hend. - Queensland, New South WalesDianella daenikeri Schlittler - New CaledoniaDianella dentata Schlittler - southeastern ChinaDianella ensifolia DC. Chimanimani Mountains of southern Africa; Indian Subcontinent, China, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Japan, islands in Indian OceanDianella fruticans R.J.F.Hend. - QueenslandDianella haematica Heenan & de Lange - North Island of New ZealandDianella incollata R.J.F.Hend. - QueenslandDianella intermedia Endl. - Norfolk Island of AustraliaDianella javanica Kunth - Southeast Asia, PapuasiaDianella latissima Heenan & de Lange - North Island of New ZealandDianella longifolia R.Br. - widespread in Australia
  • * Dianella longifolia var. fragrans R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella longifolia var. grandis R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella longifolia R.Br. var. longifolia
  • * Dianella longifolia var. stenophylla Domin
  • * Dianella longifolia var. stupata R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella longifolia var. surculosa R.J.F.Hend.Dianella monophylla Hallier f. - New GuineaDianella nervosa R.J.F.Hend. - Queensland, New South WalesDianella nigra Colenso - North + South Islands of New ZealandDianella odorata Blume - Maluku, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Queensland, Northern TerritoryDianella pavopennacea R.J.F.Hend. - Queensland
  • * Dianella pavopennacea var. major R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella pavopennacea R.J.F.Hend. var. pavopennacea
  • * Dianella pavopennacea var. robusta R.J.F.Hend.Dianella pendula Schlittler - îles Loyauté of New CaledoniaDianella plicata Schlittler - New CaledoniaDianella porracea Horsfall & G.W.Carr - Queensland, New South Wales, South AustraliaDianella prunina R.J.F.Hend. - New South WalesDianella rara R.Br. - QueenslandDianella revoluta R.Br. - widespread in Australia
  • * Dianella revoluta var. divaricata R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella revoluta var. minor R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella revoluta R.J.F.Hend.var. revoluta
  • * Dianella revoluta var. tenuis R.J.F.Hend.
  • * Dianella revoluta var. vinosa R.J.F.Hend.Dianella saffordiana Fosberg & Sachet - GuamDianella sandwicensis Hook. & Arn. - New Caledonia, Hawaiian Islands, MarquesasDianella serrulata Hallier f. - Queensland, New GuineaDianella stipitata Schlittler - New CaledoniaDianella tarda Horsfall & G.W.Carr - New South Wales, VictoriaDianella tasmanica Hook.f. - Tasmania, Victoria, New South WalesDianella tenuissima G.W.Carr - New South Wales

Uses

Several species of Dianella are grown for their attractive foliage and shiny, blue to purple berries.
Reports of the edibility of the fruit range from very poisonous to sweet and nutty, and the beach flax lily is reportedly the best-tasting.
The leaves are used to weave dillies and baskets by Indigenous Australians.