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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Iridaceae
Sisyrinchium iridifolium

Citation: Kunth in Humb., Nov. Oen. 1:324 (1816).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Blue pigroot, striped rush-leaf.

Description:
Grass-like glabrous perennial herb, sometimes growing as an annual; rhizome short; stems flattened to winged, often branched, jointed, 10-60 cm high; leaves linear-ensiform, erect, 5-20 cm long, 1.5-5 mm wide.

Spathes narrowly lanceolate with abruptly contracted apices, in subequal pairs 1.5-5 cm long, 2-5-flowered; bracteoles concealed, hyaline; perianth 1-2 cm diam., white to cream with a blue or purple centre; segments all similar, oblong, acute to acuminate; stamens exceeding the style branches; filaments forming a tube 2-3 mm long, dilated and papillose at the base; anthers c. 1.5 mm long; ovary 1-2 mm diam., purplish, minutely pubescent.

Capsule 3-6 mm diam., brown, glabrous; seeds c. 1 mm diam., dark-brown, pitted.

Published illustration: Healy & Edgar (1980) Flora of New Zealand 3:fig. 22A-D).

Distribution:  A weed of gardens and unsown pastures.

  Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.   Native to South America and Mexico.

Conservation status: naturalised

Flowering time: Nov. — Dec.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: A common weed in the high rainfall areas of the eastern States, but as yet recorded from only a few localities in this State.

Author: Not yet available


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