Moore, L.B. 1966: Australasian Asteliads (Liliaceae); with Special Reference to New Zealand Species of Astelia Subgenus Tricella. New Zealand Journal of Botany 4: 201–240.
Details
Details
Moore, L.B. 1966: Australasian Asteliads (Liliaceae); with Special Reference to New Zealand Species of Astelia Subgenus Tricella. New Zealand Journal of Botany 4: 201–240.
Article
Descriptions
Plant diffuse, with lateral shoots developing in leaf axils at all levels. Leaves c. 15—50 cm × 5-10 mm; sheath with long narrow scales; lamina ± folded about the strong keel, brownish adaxially with obvious pellicle, pale abaxially with scales and thickly felted wool; nerves only 3-6 on each side of midrib. Peduncle to c. 5 cm × 3—5 mm; panicle narrow, little longer than peduncle, the spathes narrower than the leaves; racemes few, simple, not tightly congested. Flowers pedicellate, few, ♂ maroon, ♀ greenish, outer tepals to 5 × 2 mm, spreading and ± recurved, the basal part becoming orange and fleshy in fruit. Fruit narrow-ovoid, c. 7-9 × 4-6 mm, bright orange.
Subgenus Tricella—Planta graminea, diffusa propter innovationes numerosissimas, foliorum fasciculis singularibus vix manifestis; folia vaide carinata, angustissima, supra brunnescentia, pellicula tenui separabili obtecta, subtus pallida, squamis appressis et lana copiosa praedita, nervis crassioribus utroque latere costae medianae 3—5—(6); vagina longissime squamosa; infloresccntia inter folia ± abscondita; panicula spathaeque angustae; racemi simplices, flores pauci, pedicellati, vix congesti; ovarium baccaque anguste lageniforme, longitudine saltern dimidio majus quam latitudine; fructus aureus.
Plant tufted. Leaves 80-200 × 3-5-7 cm, sheath thickly covered with scales; lamina long-acuminate, covered adaxially with transparent closely adherent pellicle and abaxially with scales and thickly felted wool. Peduncle c. 3-10-15 × 1-2 cm; panicle to 25-(30) × 15-(20) cm, often smaller, axes not of uniform diameter but each tapering notably (especially in ♀) along its length and everywhere wide in relation to flower diameter; subpanicles much branched, and ultimate racemes, of diverse lengths, sometimes very numerous (e.g., 30—70); flowers small, almost sessile; fruits orangered.
Planta robusta, foliorum fasciculis singularibus manifestis; folia longe acuminata, supra squamis appressis inconspicuis vestita, subtus squamis appressis et lana copiosissima implicataque omnino obtecta; vagina squamosa; panicula lata, rachides omnes, primarii, secundarii (et tertii qui rarius adsunt) apicem versus gradatim diminuti et maximam partem quam floris latitudine latiores; racemi longitudine diversi; flores parvi, ± sessiles, perianthio campanulato vix incrassato. A varietate nivicola differt foliis longioribus, longe attenuatis, supra pellicula tenuissima obtectis, racemis elongatis numerosis.
Plant tufted. Leaves c. 30-60 × 3-4 cm; sheath thickly covered with shining white scales; young lamina light bluish green, with white scales standing erect from the adaxial surface and ± appressed on the abaxial surface; older lamina yellow-green, dying reddish brown, glabrous on both surfaces, keeled, margins revolute, nerves very numerous, fine, equal. Peduncle c. 10—15 × 1-1.5 cm, panicle of about same length, and narrow; racemes c. 5-7, all simple, c. 4 × 1.5 cm, cylindric, closely appressed to axis. Flowers greenish, closely packed, perianth-lobes strongly recurved, ♂ slightly larger and looser than ♀; fruit orange.
Subgenus Tricella—Planta robusta, foliorum fasciculis singularibus manifestos; folia carinata, marginibus plus minusve revolutis, viridia, supra squamis erectis pruinae similibus mox caducis praedita, subtus squamis horridis inter nervos plurimos aequales obtecta; squamae abaxillares deciduae lanam exiguam secum abstrahentes, itaque folia matura glabra, durissima, Phormii parvi simillima, vagina autem longissime squamosa; inflorescentia squamosissima inter folia plus minusve abscondita; panicula angusta, racemi pauci simplices cylindrati fere erecti, floribus numerosis, femineis praecipue confertis; perianthium pallide viride, lobi valde recurvati, exteriores 7-, interiores 5-venosi; fiuctus aurosus.
Identification keys
SYNOPTIC K E Y TO AUSTRALASIAN ASTELIADS
1
Main stem and leaves brittle, leaf lamina breaking cleanly if folded transversely towards the adaxial side; leaf sheath open upwards forming a water-holding container, the long scales confined to a well defined zone at the extreme base; abaxial leaf scales with peltate platelets; perianth tube deeply cupshaped, membranous; ovary trilocular; funicle hairs long and mucilaginous
Main stem and leaves tough with strong fibres except in very small plants; leaf sheath usually keeled, in old leaves rarely containing water, long scales over whole sheath, occasionally very sparse; abaxial leaf scales without peltate platelets; perianth tube, if membranous, so short as to be hardly visible, if appreciably long or deep, then ± fleshy; ovary tri- or unilocular; funicle hairs, if present, very short
2
Ovary unilocular; seeds ± globose to terete, with thickened or projecting funicle
Leaves rarely as much as 20 × 1 cm, usually much less, green, the longest scales marginal and brownish
5
Leaves semi-terete with no proper lamina; scales few, small, and almost confined to tip
Leaves with definite lamina, each half ridged with a prominent nerve; scales forming a thin pellicle adaxially
6
Leaves, at least when young, covered abaxially with scales making an obscure pattern of minute circles
Leaves glabrous abaxially except for long brownish scales on margins and midrib
7
Leaf with a close group of 3 lateral nerves extending well above mid-length; outer tepals externally scaly to tip; fruit red with distinct style; ♀ inflorescence stiffish; usually terrestrial and tall
Leaf without a close group of 3 lateral nerves in upper half; outer tepals glabrous at tip; fruit yellow-green to dark brown; style very short; ♀ inflorescence lax; usually epiphytic, but often growing on ground
8
Inflorescence many-branched, standing well up within or drooping out from tuft of leaves; fruit white flushed with magenta, seated on membranous remnants of perianth; seeds not shining, with many flat faces meeting along rather sharp edges; leaf just above the sheath tightly folded about a strong keel, the lamina covered adaxially with a silvery pellicle, abaxially showing a number of subequal nerves
Inflorescence few- to many-branched, standing stiffly erect, the peduncle usually hidden within the tuft of leaves; fruit strong orange to yellow, ± flushed with red, the persistent perianth ± fleshy and brightly coloured; seeds shining, rounded, inner faces ± flattened by mutual pressure; leaves various, but none with the same combination of characters as in A. banksii
10
Leaf lamina with one large nerve (costa) on each side of midrib; inflorescence large, racemes numerous, spreading, usually at least 3 subtended by each lower spathe; lowland to montane
Leaf lamina without any single conspicuous costa on each side of midrib; inflorescence narrow or congested, racemes few and appressed, 1 to each spathe; above timber line only
11
Leaves arcuate to drooping in upper half, narrowly tapering and rarely > 1.5 cm wide at 15 cm from tip; costae more prominent abaxially than midrib, often reddish adaxially, other nerves fairly even in size; ♀ perianth at flowering enclosing ovary to about middle, becoming fleshy and bright-coloured and splitting to form an orange saucer on which ripe fruit sits
Leaves rather stiffly erect, though extreme tip droops when leaves are very long, tapering less narrowly and often 2 cm or more wide at 15 cm from tip; costae hardly more prominent abaxially than midrib, rarely if ever reddish adaxially, other nerves of several orders of size; ♀ perianth at flowering enclosing ovary to above middle and ± urceolate, but becoming fleshy, orange and spreading at fruiting
12
Leaf sheath with only scattered inconspicuous scales; lamina remaining white abaxially even in old age, except on the evenly spaced nerves, when young without obvious adaxial scales; inflorescence congested, enclosed within short broad spathes; tepals erect to ± patent, reflexed only in old ♂; fruit to 2 cm long, obconic-oblong
Leaf sheath with thick fur of silvery scales; lamina becoming green and glabrous abaxially in old age, and then showing the very fine, closely crowded nerves, when young with loose, ± erect scales adaxially; inflorescence narrow, spathes relatively long and narrow, racemes cylindric-ovoid, distinct but closely appressed to axis; tepals strongly reflexed in both ♂ and ♀: fruit subglobose to obconic
13
Leaf lamina not thickly felted abaxially; inflorescence large, usually at least 10 cm long, raceme-axes ± uniform in diameter throughout their length; flowers relatively large, with outer tepals > 4 × 2.5 mm
Leaf lamina thickly felted abaxially; inflorescence either <10cm long or if larger with raceme axes broad towards their bases; flowers small with outer tepals rarely as large as 4 × 2.5 mm
Inflorescence simple, most spathes subtending only 1 raceme, occasionally more in lower 1—2 spathes
15
Leaf lamina with adaxial pellicle well developed, the scales often ± ruffled up, especially near margins; perianth relatively long, urceolate, ± enclosing fruit base
Leaf lamina with very delicate adaxial pellicle, the scales not inclined to ruffle up; perianth "not tightly enclosing berry"
16
Inflorescence much reduced, racemes represented mostly by only 1-2 flowers; fruit obconic, fleshy proximally with loculecavities confined to distal half
Inflorescence with definite racemes, though sometimes congested; fruit broadest about or below the middle, locule cavities in proximal part
17
Leaf lamina narrow, mostly ± 1 cm wide, dull brown adaxially, nerves on each side of midrib usually <6; habit diffuse and grasslike owing to lateral shoots developing in axils of many leaves; panicle simple, each spathe subtending only 1 raceme; fruit nearly twice as long as broad
Leaf lamina broader, brownish adaxially only on extreme margin, nerves on each side of midrib usually > 6; leafy tufts well defined, lateral shoots mostly developing only in axils of 1—3 subfloral leaves; panicle usually more compound; fruit less elongate
18
Leaves mostly <50cm long, broad-tipped, with obvious adaxial pellicle; peduncle little longer than wide; panicle tightly congested; tussock-dwelling
Leaves to 150 cm long, tip long attenuate, with delicate adaxial pellicle; peduncle much longer than wide, panicle more open, flowers crowded on elongated racemes; forest-dwelling
19
Leaves broad; fruit red and yellow; seed dull-surfaced, longitudinally ridged, embedded in long colourless mucilage tubes; ovary wall without median large mucilage duct in each locule
Leaves narrow; fruits milky white showing black seeds through pericarp; seed glossy, smooth, mucilage tubes surrounding base only; ovary wall usually if not always with median large mucilage duct in each locule
Reproduced with permission from New Zealand Journal of Botany and The Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi.
Cited scientific names
Metadata
22aa3884-7826-48c2-b83b-b9de858b9d41
reference
Names_Plants
