Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Gymea lily

(Doryanthes excelsa)

galery
en

Description

Doryanthes excelsa, commonly known as the gymea lily, is a flowering plant in the family Doryanthaceae that is endemic to coastal areas of New South Wales near Sydney. It has sword-like leaves more than 1 metre (3 ft) long and it grows a flower spike up to 6 metres (20 ft) high. The apex of the spike bears a large cluster of bright red flowers, each 10 centimetres (4 in) across. Its common name is derived from the name given to the plant by the indigenous Eora people. The Sydney suburbs of Gymea and Gymea Bay are named after the lily. Gymea lilies have a rosette of large numbers of sword-shaped, strap like leaves 1–2.5 metres (3–8 ft) long and 10 centimetres (4 in) wide. The leaves are bright green, fibrous and glabrous. In winter the flower spike grows from the centre of the rosette until it is up to 6 metres (20 ft) high, bearing shorter leaves up to 30 centimetres (10 in) long. At the top of the spike, a head of flowers 30 centimetres (10 in) in diameter develops, each flower being bright red, trumpet-shaped and about 10 centimetres (4 in) long. The head is surrounded by reddish-brown bracts, sometimes making it difficult to see the flowers from the ground. Flowering occurs in spring and is followed by oval-shaped reddish-brown capsules, 7–10 centimetres (3–4 in) long. In late summer, the capsule splits open and releases the seeds which are 15–23 millimetres (0.6–0.9 in) lon

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Liliopsida
Order:Asparagales
Family:Doryanthaceae
Genus:Doryanthes
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