Astelia alpina
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Astelia alpina |
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Astelia alpina is a species of the Asteliaceae family . It occurs only in Australia, including Tasmania , where it is called "Pineapple Grass" or "Silver Astelia" and is sometimes used as an ornamental plant.
description
Vegetative characteristics
Astelia alpina grows terrestrially in swamps and damp locations in alpine altitudes as a perennial herbaceous plant , reaches heights of about 15 to rarely 30 cm and forms mats (stands) through its rhizomes . The above-ground parts of the plant are usually covered with typical silvery scales, and the leaf base and inflorescence shafts have thread-like, silky hair. The leaves are arranged in three rows on the short stems and consist of a leaf sheath and a leaf blade. The broad leaf sheaths are closed around the stem. The simple leaf blades are linear, 5 to 17 cm long and 5 to 15 mm wide. The upper side of the leaf is green to gray-green and the underside of the leaf is glossy gray-green to silvery white.
Generative characteristics
Astelia alpina is dioeciously segregated ( diocesan ). At the end of a leafless inflorescence stem there is a paniculate inflorescence . In male specimens there is a 3 to 12 cm long inflorescence stem with an open 3 to 8 cm long inflorescence with a leaf-like and two to six additional bracts (called spathe here) and 10 to 50 flowers each on a 2 to 12 mm long peduncle. In female specimens, the 1 to 2.5 cm long, compressed inflorescence is hidden under the leaves above a 2 to 8 cm long inflorescence stem, the lowest bract is linear and the flower stalks are only 0 to 8 mm long. The relatively small, unisexual flowers are radial symmetry and threefold. The six free, greenish-yellow bracts are 2 to 4 mm long in the male flowers and 4 to 6 mm long in the female. The male flowers are usually larger than the female. In the male flowers there are two circles with three stamens each, which do not protrude beyond the flower envelope. The female flowers contain a three carpels grown together, Upper permanent, einkammeriger ovary and a short, thick stylus, which ends in three free scars; there are also three slit-shaped nectaries in the area of the scars. The flowering period is late spring to summer, for Astelia alpina var. Novae-hollandiae November to March.
Surrounded by the long-lasting bracts, with a length of 6 to 10 mm and a diameter of 3 to 4 mm, the berry contains four to eight seeds. The black seeds are about 1.8 mm long. The small, red berries of Astelia alpina var. Novae-hollandiae are edible.
Systematics and distribution
The main distribution area of Astelia alpina is in New South Wales in the Snowy Mountains , Victoria and Tasmania .
There are two varieties of Astelia alpina :
- Astelia alpina R.Br. var. alpina : It occurs in Tasmania.
- Astelia alpina var. Novae-hollandiae Skottsb .: It occurs in New South Wales and Victoria.
Astelia alpina is the type species of the genus and was first published in 1810 by Robert Brown in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae , 291 . The generic name Astelia is derived from the Greek a for "without" and stele in this case "stem", ie "without stem" because it cannot be seen. The specific epithet alpina refers to the locations of this species, in this case the alpine and sub-alpine altitudes in the Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
use
Astelia alpina is occasionally used in the creation of water gardens and ponds.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Astelia alpina at Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) .
- ↑ a b c Astelia alpina var. Novae-hollandiae at Yarra Ranges. ( Memento of the original from December 9, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e Astelia alpina at the New South Wales Flora Online .
- ↑ a b Entry in Australian Plant Name Index (APNI).
