108 



LILIACEAE. 



5. Thysanotus. 



5. THYSANOTUS, R. Br. 



(Greek thysanbtos, fringed : alluding to the 3 inner perianth-segments.) 



Perianth of 6 free segments, 3-nerved along centre, the 3 inner broader and more or 

 less fringed on the edge, twisted spirally after flowering ; stamens 6, attached to the 

 base of the segments and bent over to one side of the ovary ; ovary 3-celled, with 2 super- 

 posed ovules in each cell ; style filiform, undivided ; capsule globular, 3-valved, with 

 black carunculate seeds. Often called " Fringed violets." Perennials with radical 

 leaves and usually blue or violet flowers. 



A. Stems twining. 



Perianth 10 mm. long Th. Pater sonii 1. 



Perianth 5 mm. long Th. exiliflorus 2. 



A. Stems erect. 



B. Roots tuberous. 

 C. Bracts few. 



Leaves few ; flowers large Th. tuberosus 3. 



Leaves many ; flowers small Th. tenellus 4. 



Q. Bracts many together, white, broad Th. Baueri 5. 



B. Roots without tubers ; stem with forked branches . . Th. dichotomus 6. 



1. Th. Patersonii, R. Br. Roots tuberous; radical leaves filiform, withering early, 

 the others reduced to small bracts under the branches ; stem wiry, twining, branched ; 

 flowers usually solitary at the ends of the short branches, violet, with 2 small bracts a 

 little below the perianth, which is '8-10 mm. long ; capsule rather shorter. 



Southern districts to Flinders Range ; Pinnaroo ; South-East ; Eyre Peninsula. Sept.- 

 Nov. 



2. Th. exiliflorus, F. v. M. Resembles the preceding, but the tubers longer and more 

 cylindrical ; the flowers greenish, 4-5 mm. long, with the 2 bracts at a greater distance ; 

 perianth -segments scarcely twisted and the 3 inner ones very minutely fringed ; capsule 

 as long as perianth. 



Innamincka ; Ooldea. Aug. -Oct. 



3. Th. tuberosus, R. Br. Roots tuberous ; leaves few, linear, sometimes long ; scape 

 erect, rigid, 20-50 cm. high, bearing a long, loose panicle, with long branches bearing 

 1 or 2 umbels of 1-3 flowers each ; bracts lanceolate with 1 brown nerve ; perianth 12-15 

 mm. long ; 3 of the anthers longer than the others and beaked. 



Southern districts to Flinders Range ; South -East. Oct. -Jan. 



Th. exaspcratus, F. v. M., which is stated by Bentham to differ from Th. tvberosus in 

 nothing except that the stamens are nearly of equal length, is recorded from the Flinders 

 Range. It is probably only a form or variety. 



4. Th. tenellus, Endl. Roots tuberous ; leaves 

 numerous, persistant, linear, more than | as long as 

 the stem, with scarious sheaths ; stem 15-20 cm. high ; 

 flowers 2-3 in pedunculate umbels, forming a short 

 panicle ; bracts small ; perianth about 8 mm. long, 

 the inner segments narrow and minutely fringed ; 3 

 anthers much longer than the others, but not beaked. 



Alberga River (Far North). Aug.-Oct. 



5. Th. Baueri, R. Br. Roots tuberous ; leaves 

 few, short, withering early ; stem 20-30 cm. high, 

 sometimes simple, with sessile umbels of flowers along 

 the upper part, more often considerably branched, the 

 bracts numerous, white and conspicuous ; perianth 8-10 

 mm. long ; 3 anthers slightly longer than the others. 



Southern districts to Far North ; Fowler's Bay ; 

 South-East. Oct. -Dec. 



6. Th. dichotomus (Labill.), R. Br. Roots fibrous, 

 without tubers ; leaves short, withering early ; stem 

 30-60 cm. high, rigid, with long, often dichotomous 

 branches ; umbels 1-3 -flowered, with small usually 

 3-nerved bracts at base of the pedicels ; perianth 

 12 15 mm. long ; 3 anthers longer than the others and 

 with curved beaks. Resembles Th. tuberosus. 



Southern districts ; Eyre Peninsula. Oct. -Jan. 



Eig. 28. — Thysanotus dichotomus. 



