Appearance

Leaves: glossy green, firm and flat. Long and thin – up to 1m long and roughly 1cm wide. Leaves are usually taller than the flowering stem. Leaf base is broad with brownish edges. Tips of leaves have teeth.

Flowers: grow in a whorled cluster attached to a straw-coloured bracts. Individual flowers are roughly 4mm long, but the cluster and leaf grow to 50cm. Have a strong scent. Flower head is brown – during flowering petals are creamy yellow.

Fruits: globular capsule. Mature then turn brown.

What to Observe

•First fully open single flower 

•Full flowering (record all days)

•End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)

•No flowering

•Fruiting

ClimateWatch Science Advisor

We expect plants to start shooting and flowering earlier in the year as a result of climate change warming the Earth. They may also start appearing in new areas, as warmer temperatures enable them to live in environments that were previously too cold or unsuitable

Help scientists answer the question: "How are our animals, plants and ecosystems responding to climate change?"

When To Look

Flowering occurs in warm temperatures (September to February).

Fruiting occurs 1-2 months after flowering.

Note: ClimateWatch is looking for any changes in the timing of these events so remember to keep a lookout all year

Where To Look

It can grow in sandy soils, swamps, wet habitats such as the banks of creeks and can be found in open forests and rocky hillsides of VIC, NSW, QLD, TAS.

Widely planted in urban gardens.

Note: ClimateWatch is looking for any changes outside of their known ranges so remember to keep a lookout beyond these regions too!

Lomandra longifolia distribution GBIF

References

Australia National Botanic Gardens Centre for National Biodiversity Research - https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2007/lomandra-longifolia.html

Agriculture Victoria Victorian Resources Online - http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/sip_salt_spiny_headed_mat_rush

Yarra Ranges Council - http://fe.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Residents/Trees_Vegetation/Yarra_Ranges_Plant_Directory/Yarra_Ranges_Local_Plant_Directory/Lower_Storey/Grasses_Rushes_and_Sedges/Lomandra_longifolia_ssp_longifolia

Save Our Waterways Now - http://www.saveourwaterwaysnow.com.au/01_cms/details_pop.asp?ID=194

VicFlora - https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/379477a3-2398-4a47-b81f-46dd3a735115

PlantNET - http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Lomandra~hystrix

Links

• Australia National Botanic Gardens Centre for National Biodiversity Research
• Agriculture Victoria Victorian Resources Online
• Yarra Ranges Council
• VicFlora
• PlantNET