Xanthorrhoea macronema

Bottlebrush grass tree
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asphodelaceae
Subfamily:	Xanthorrhoeoideae
Genus:	Xanthorrhoea
Species:	X. macronema
Binomial name
Xanthorrhoea macronema F.Muell. ex Benth.

Xanthorrhoea macronema is a forest plant in the genus Xanthorrhoea,^[1] found in coastal regions of eastern Australia north of Sydney. The trunk of this grass tree is underground.

The common name is the bottlebrush grass tree. The plant features yellow flowers resembling those of Banksia or Bottlebrush, around 10 cm long. However, the flowering stem can be up to two metres long. Depending on fires, the plant flowers from July to August.

The glossy leaves are 2 to 4 mm wide, triangular in cross section with grooves and ribs. The leaves are rough like sandpaper to touch around the leaf margins.

The specific epithet comes from the Latin for "long thread," referring to the flowering stem.

References