250 
Telopea 9(2): 2001 
Type: Western Australia: 22.8 km E of Brand Hwy on Green Head-Coorow Road, 
Alexander Morrison Natl Park, 30°01'S 115°20'E, 30 Sep 1984, B.G. Briggs 7727 & L.A.S. 
Johnson 2 (holo NSW; iso AD, BRI, CANB, DNA, K, MEL, MO, NBG*, PERTH, RSA). 
Forming large tussocks of numerous culms linked by interlacing rhizomes. Rhizomes 
stout, to 20 cm long, 7-10 mm diam.; sheaths straw-coloured, partly covering a dense 
white pubescence. Culms spaced c. 2 cm apart, stout, erect, terete to sub-terete, finely 
striate, 1.5-2(-2.5) m long, 7-8 nun diam. at the base, 4.5-5.0 mm diam. mid-culm, 
intemodes 9-12 cm long, fistular, bright green or yellow-green, glabrous above, hoary- 
tomentose basally; upper branches flattened adaxially, concavo-convex; culm 
branches dimorphic: floriferous branches long, straight; sterile branches short, mostly 
5-20 cm long, densely branched into filiform segments with short intemodes. Sheaths 
of culms and fertile branches 2-3 cm long, brown, glabrous or shortly hoary, often 
apically shortly ciliate, apex acute to obtuse; lamina erect, 4-15 mm long, caducous; 
sheaths of sterile branches green or tan, auriculate, 2-5 mm long with a linear lamina 
5-12 mm long and a tuft of white axillary hairs. Male inflorescences to 50 cm long, 
with very numerous spikelets; several secondary inflorescence branches of different 
lengths and degrees of branching arising at each upper culm node. Male spikelets on 
pedicels to 2 cm long, ovoid or obconical, 7-11 (-25) mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, with 2-4 
sterile lower glumes and c. 30-50 fertile upper glumes; glumes ovate, 3.0-3.7 mm long, 
light brown, pubescent, apex obtuse to acute; mucro erect, terete, 1.8-2.6 mm long. 
Female inflorescence with slender lateral branches 25-45 cm long, of several 
internodes, mostly arising singly at culm nodes. Female spikelets terminal on 
branches, 3-5 cm long, 1.0-1.5 cm wide, with 1-3 sterile lower glumes and 1-5 fertile 
upper glumes; glumes rigid, becoming woody, broadly ovate, c. 1.5 cm long, brown, 
striate, pilose on abaxial surface and apex when young, becoming glabrous, apex 
aristate; mucro erect, c. 1-1.5 cm long. Male flowers: tepals 6, lanceolate, brown, 
hyaline, 2.5-3.3 mm long; 2 lateral outer tepals keeled; filaments 2.5-2.7 mm long; 
anthers 2.3 mm long, exserted. Female flowers: tepals apically pubescent; outer tepals 
rigid, elliptical, 6-10 mm long with an awn c. 10 mm long; inner tepals hyaline, ovate, 
truncate, 3-6 mm long; staminodes minute; ovary 2-locular; styles 2, shortly connate 
at base. Capsule c. 10 mm long, 4—7 mm wide; 1-5 capsules per spikelet developing. 
Seed oblong, furrowed on one side, 4.2-5.2 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Chromosome 
number; 2n = 24 (Briggs unpublished, voucher Gittins 1696). (Fig. 2d-e). 
The epithet is from the Greek giga-, giant, very large, referring to the size of the plant 
and its component parts. 
Distribution: occurs in a few sites near and north of Badgingarra, including the 
Alexander Morrison National Park. Grows in shrubland and tall heath, on sand or 
sand over laterite, on elevated sites. 
Conservation status: rare but represented in a conservation reserve, code 2KCa 
(Briggs & Leigh 1996, listed as Restio gigas). Declared endangered rare flora, CALM 
code R (Meney, Pate, Dixon, Briggs, & Johnson 1999). Endangered especially since it is 
an obligate seeder species killed by fire, and since plants take more than ten years after 
germination to reproductive maturity. This vulnerability is increased by the short 
period of viability of the seeds. 
This is the largest of Australia's Restionaceae, with culms to 2.5 m tall. It is surprising 
that it was not distinguished until recent decades and described until now, especially 
since one area of occurrence is in the road reserve adjoining a major (though recently 
constructed) highway. 
Distinguished from other species of Loxocarya (Fig. 2a-2c, 2f-2h) by the large size of all 
its parts, including stout rhizomes and culms; male spikelets numerous in much- 
branched inflorescences; female spikelets and fruits large, on long inflorescence 
