Puneet Varma (Editor)

Caesia parviflora

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Clade
  
Monocots

Family
  
Asphodelaceae

Rank
  
Species

Clade
  
Angiosperms

Order
  
Asparagales

Subfamily
  
Hemerocallidoideae

Caesia parviflora httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Similar
  
Caesia, Arthropodium milleflorum, Dichopogon strictus, Thysanotus, Prasophyllum

Caesia parviflora, the pale grass lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, native to Australia.

This is a small plant up to 50 centimeters tall, found in heath, woodland and dry sclerophyll forest, usually near grasses. It often grows on sandstone-based soils. The lily-like flower is about 1.2 centimeters wide and has three grey or purple stripes on each petal. Flowering occurs in spring and summer.

The original specimen was collected in Sydney, dated 16 October 1803. In 1810, the species appeared in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown. The generic name honours Federico Cesi, a 17th-century Italian naturalist. The specific epithet parviflora translates to "small flowered".

At least three subspecies are recognised:

  • Caesia parviflora var. parviflora, with white flowers
  • Caesia parviflora var. vittata, with blue flowers
  • Caesia parviflora var. minor, less than 20 cm tall, with blue or white flowers. This subspecies is considered endangered.
  • References

    Caesia parviflora Wikipedia