Fruits/Seeds
Fruit is blue to purple and 4 - 10 mm in diameter with 3 - 4 shiny black seeds that persist months after flowering.
Field Guide
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Black-anther Flax-lily
Also known as Blueberry Lily, a long, feathery shrub with flowers sticking up above the leaves.
Long green pointy leaves with vibrant blue to purple inflorescences (flower clusters). Grows up to 1.5 m high.
Leaves
Long, feathery, smooth green leaves. 15 - 85 cm long with 4 - 15 mm width. Pointy ends and long and stiff throughout. Can sometimes appear red towards base but this is rare.
Flowers
Flowers stick up above the leaves, consisting of 6 purple petals (7 - 12 mm length) and 6 stamens (pollen-bearing part of the flower) in a ring. These are long, thick and have brown to black tips with yellow stems.
What to Observe
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First fully open single flower
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Full flowering (record all days)
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End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)
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No flowering
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Fruits/seeds (record all days)
When and Where
When To Look
- Flowering occurs from Spring to Summer
- Fruit occurs many months after flowering
Where To Look
- Found in all states except the Northern Territory
- Widespread but common in sclerophyll forest and woodlands
What Else?
Similar Species
Nodding Blue Lily (Stypandra glauca) has similar flowers, later in season and its leaves form a massive clump.
