Thysanotus multiflorus
Thysanotus multiflorus, commonly known as many-flowered fringe lily, is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tufted perennial herb, with linear to lance-shaped leaves, and usually a single umbel of four to 60 purple flowers with linear to lance-shaped sepals, elliptic, fringed petals and three stamens.
Description
Thysanotus multiflorus is a tufted perennial herb with a small rootstock enclosed by old leaf bases and with fibrous roots. Its three to 30 leaves are linear to narrowly lance-shaped, flat to more or less channelled, long and wide. The flowers are usually borne in a single umbel with four to 60 purple flowers, occasionally with a second umbel below. Each flower is on a pedicel long. The perianth segments are long, the sepals linear to narrowly lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, wide. The petals are elliptic, wide, with a fringe long. There are three stamens, the anthers long and curved. The style is about long and curves in the opposite direction to the anthers. Flowering occurs from August to December or January, and the seeds are more or less cylindrical, long and in diameter with a stalked, yellow aril.
Taxonomy
Thysanotus multiflorus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown (botanist, [born 1773)|Robert Brown] in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. The specific epithet means 'many-flowered'.
Many-flowered fringe lily grows in coastal banksia scrub forest in sand in Eucalyptus marginata-''Corymbia calophylla forest and Eucalyptus staeri'' forest in humus-rich sandy soils. It is found south-east of a line from the Avon River to Cape Riche in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren IBRA regions of south-western Western Australia.
Thysanotus multiflorus is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.