Thysanotus pyramidalis
Thysanotus pyramidalis is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a perennial herb with a small rootstock, elliptic tubers, linear leaves, and flowers arranged singly, with lance-shaped sepals, elliptic, fringed petals and six stamens of differing lengths.
Description
Thysanotus pyramidalis is a perennial herb with a small rootstock, elliptic, more or less sessile tubers about long and six to eight linear, flat leaves long but that wither near flowering time. The flowers are usually borne singly in panicles on a flowering stem long, each flower on a pedicel long. The flowers are purple, the perianth segments long. The sepals are lance-shaped, about wide and the petals are elliptic, wide with a fringe long. There are six stamens, the outer three anthers, long, the inner three long and slightly curved. The style is curved, about long. Flowering occurs from August to October, and the seeds are elliptic, about long and in diameter with a dark, straw-coloured aril.
Taxonomy
Thysanotus pyramidalis was first formally described in 1972 by Norman Henry Brittan in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia from specimens he collected north-east of Wubin in 1958. The specific epithet means 'pyramid-shaped', referring to the shape of the inflorescence.
Distribution and habitat
This species of Thysanotus grows in sand, loam, laterite and sandy clay, often in damp sites, in sandplain and mulga communities from near Geraldton to the Three Springs area and near Perth, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Murchison and Yalgoo bioregions of south-western Western Australia.
Conservation status
Thysanotus pyramidalis is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.