Family: Iridaceae
Plant: A densely tufted herb up to 30cm high.
Flowers: 1-6 mauve to violet stalkless flowers borne on long stems. The flowers are 4cm across with 3 rounded spreading petals. The petals are subtended by 2 silky dark brown silky bracts that are 2-6cm long and covered with white silky hairs. The flowers open in succession on sunny days.
Flowering: July-December.
Fruit: An ovoid to cylindrical capsule 1.5-3cm long.
Leaves: Basal, erect, stiff strap-like, up to 30cm long, 2-6mm wide and hairy near the base.
Habitat: Dry sclerophyll forest and heathland.
Features: 3-petalled mauve to violet flower. Dark brown silky bracts and basal leaves.
Name:
Patersonia After Lt. Col. William Paterson of the NSW Corps who collected plants specimens that he sent to Joseph Banks
sericea From Latin = silky (referring to its silky bracts)
|
Type |
Herb |
|
|
Flowers |
Form |
Regular, Single |
|
|
Colour(s) |
Mauve, Violet |
|
|
Petal/Sepal No. |
3 |
|
|
Flowering Month |
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
|
Fruit |
Type |
Capsule |
|
|
Colour |
Brown |
|
|
Other Features |
- |
|
Leaves |
Arrangement |
Basal, Tufted |
|
|
Type |
Simple |
|
|
Shape |
Linear, Strap-like |
|
|
Length |
Medium, Long |
|
|
Margins |
Entire |
|
|
Attachment |
Unstalked |
|
|
Other Features |
Hairy |
|
Bark |
- |
|
|
Habitat |
Dry sclerophyll forest, Heathland |
|