Common name: Johnson's grass tree
Xanthorrhoea johnsonii A.T.Lee APNI*
Description: Trunk 0.1–5 m high; stem and crown usually 1; young leaves in spreading upright tuft; old leaves often strongly reflexed.
Leaves ± quadrate-rhombic to transverse-rhombic in T.S., 1–2.5 mm wide, 0.8–1.8 mm thick, green, not glaucous.
Scape 0.75–1.9m long, 7–20 mm diam.; spike 0.75–1.25 as long as scape, usually 20–120 cm long, rarely to 225 cm, 2–4 cm diam.; cluster bracts prominent only in lower portion of spike, acute to narrow-triangular, subglabrous to moderately hirsute; packing bracts shortly acute to acute, the upper third subglabrous to moderately hirsute. Outer tepals shortly acute, beak absent or very short, sometimes with proboscis, often with central outer ridge, glabrous to subglabrous. Inner tepals erect to recurved, with proboscis, glabrous except some hairs at apex on lower surface.
Distribution and occurrence: Usually grows in sclerophyll forest and heath in well-drained sites; north from Singleton, widespread.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, NT, NWS, CWS, NWP
Other Australian states: Qld
Extremely variable and may include more than one taxon but further study is needed.
Text by D. J. Bedford
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.