Xanthorrhoea
| Xanthorrhoea | |
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| X. semiplana | |
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Xanthorrhoea (/zænθoʊˈriːə/[1]) is a group (genus) of about 30 types (species) of plants that store water and have flowers. They belong to the Asphodelaceae family. These plants only grow in Australia. People call them by many names like grasstree, grass gum-tree (for those that produce resin), kangaroo tail, balga (in Western Australia), yakka (in South Australia), yamina (in Tasmania, from the palawa kani language), and black boy (or "blackboy"). The most common type is Xanthorrhoea australis, and some of these names are used just for this species.
Description
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All Xanthorrhoea plants live for many years and have a special growing part in their stem. Many types grow a stem above the ground, but some do not. The stem can take up to 20 years to appear. The plant starts as a bunch of stiff, grass-like leaves, and the main stem grows slowly underneath. The trunk is rough because it is made from old leaf bases around the thickened stem. Some plants have one stem, some grow branches if the main growing point is hurt, and others naturally have many branches.[2][3]
The flowers grow on a long spike above a bare part called a scape. This spike can be over 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ft) long in some types. The plants flower at certain times, which can be different for each type, and often after a bushfire. Fires burn the leaves and blacken the trunk, but the plant survives because the dead leaves around the stem protect it from the heat.
Xanthorrhoea plants grow slowly. Some grow between 0.8–6 cm (0.31–2.36 in) each year. They grow faster when the weather and rain are good. After they are established, the growth speed varies a lot between types. For example, a five-metre-tall (16 ft) tall Xanthorrhoea that grows fast might be 200 years old, but a slower-growing one of the same height could be 600 years old.
Classification
[change | change source]Xanthorrhoea is part of the Asphodelaceae family, which includes plants like Aloe, Alstroemeria, Gasteria, Haworthia and Hemerocallis. It is in its own special group called Xanthorrhoeoideae.[4] These plants are monocots, a type of flowering plant.[5]
The name Xanthorrhoea means "yellow flow" in Ancient Greek, named for its yellow resin. It was named in 1798 by James Edward Smith.[6] Some other Australian plants look similar, but are not related, and have sometimes been confused with Xanthorrhoea.[7]
Names
[change | change source]People call Xanthorrhoea by many names like grasstree, grass gum-tree, and kangaroo tail. The name grasstree is also used for other plants. In Western Australia, it is called balga, a word from the Noongar language. The name "black boy" was used for many years because the blackened trunk after fire looks like a dark figure, but this name is now seen as offensive.[8][9] In Tasmania, the plant is called yamina by Aboriginal people.[10] In South Australia, it is called yakka or yacca[11] , likely from the Kaurna language. The Ngarrindjeri people call it Bukkup.[12]
Some names are used especially for the common species Xanthorrhoea australis.
Where They Grow
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Xanthorrhoea plants only grow in Australia. They are found in all states and territories. Some types grow only in small areas, while others are found in many places.[13]
A list of the accepted species as of 2014:[4]
| Image | Name | Authority | States and Territories | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | QLD | VIC | TAS | SA | WA | NT | |||
 |
X. acanthostachya | D.J.Bedford | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · |
| X. acaulis | (A.T.Lee) D.J.Bedford | Y | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
 |
X. arborea | R.Br. | Y | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| X. arenaria | D.J.Bedford | · | · | · | Y | · | · | · | |
.JPG) |
X. australis | R.Br. | Y | · | Y | Y | Y | · | · |
| X. bracteata | R.Br. | · | · | · | Y | · | · | · | |
| X. brevistyla | D.A.Herb. | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · | |
 |
X. brunonis | Endl. in J.G.C.Lehmann | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · |
 |
X. caespitosa | D.J.Bedford | · | · | · | · | Y | · | · |
 |
X. concava | (A.T.Lee) D.J.Bedford | Y | · | · | · | · | · | · |
|
X. drummondii | Harv. | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · |
 |
X. fulva | (A.T.Lee) D.J.Bedford | Y | Y | · | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. glauca | D.J.Bedford | Y | Y | Y | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. gracilis | Endl. in J.G.C.Lehmann | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · |
 |
X. johnsonii | A.T.Lee | Y | Y | · | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. latifolia | (A.T.Lee) D.J.Bedford | Y | Y | · | · | · | · | · |
.jpg) |
X. macronema | F.Muell. ex Benth. | Y | Y, Fraser Island | · | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. malacophylla | D.J.Bedford | Y | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. media | R.Br. | Y | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. minor | R.Br. | Y | · | Y | · | Y | · | · |
 |
X. nana | D.A.Herb. | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · |
 |
X. platyphylla | D.J.Bedford | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · |
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X. preissii (syn. X. pecoris F.Muell.) | Endl. in J.G.C.Lehmann | · | · | · | · | · | Y | · |
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X. pumilio | R.Br. | · | Y | · | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. quadrangulata | F.Muell. | · | · | · | · | Y | · | · |
 |
X. resinosa (syn. X. hastilis) | Pers. | Y | · | Y | · | · | · | · |
 |
X. semiplana | F.Muell. | · | · | Y | · | Y | · | · |
 |
X. thorntonii | Tate | · | · | · | · | Y | Y | Y |
Habitat and Ecology
[change | change source]Grasstrees grow in coastal heaths and wet or dry forests in Australia. They can survive drought and frost. They usually grow in very well-drained, poor soil. They have shallow roots that get nutrients from decaying leaves and store food in their stems.[14] These plants have special features to survive fires. The thick dead leaves around the stem protect the plant from heat.[15] Fire clears dead leaves and helps the plants flower. After fire, the soil is richer with ash, which helps the plant grow. These slow growing plants were among the world's first flowering plants.[16]
Xanthorrhoea also has a helpful relationship with fungi in its roots. The fungi help the plant get water and nutrients, especially in poor soil. However, the plant can get sick from a disease called phytophthora dieback, which harms its roots and can kill it.[17]
Growing Xanthorrhoea
[change | change source]You can grow Xanthorrhoea from seeds, which are easy to collect and start. They grow slowly but can reach about 10 cm (3.9 in) tall with leaves up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in 10 years. It can take 30 years to grow a big trunk. Most plants sold in nurseries are taken from the wild and are expensive. Many nursery plants die because they get too much water. The best way to move these plants is with a lot of soil around their roots.
Xanthorrhoea is a symbol of the Australian bush because it lives well in poor soil and recovers from fire.[18] Common garden species include Xanthorrhoea australis, Xanthorrhoea malacophylla, and Xanthorrhoea preissii.[3]
Uses
[change | change source]Xanthorrhoea is very important to the Indigenous Australian people. They use it in many ways.[19] The flower spike can be used as a light handle for spears.[20] It is also soaked in water and the nectar from the flowers gives a sweet-tasting drink.[source?] The flowers can be soaked in water to make a sweet drink. The flowers can also show direction because flowers on the sunny side open first.[21]
The resin from the plant is used to make spears.[22] and as glue for fixing things like water containers and didgeridoos. The dried flower stalk can be used to make fire by rubbing it with another stick. In Tasmania, Aboriginal people use the leaves for weaving.[10]
In the past, resin from Xanthorrhoea was used in Australia for:
- Burning as incense in churches
- Making varnish for furniture and houses
- Polishing and coating metal objects like stoves and brass instruments
- Industrial uses like making paper, soap, perfumes, and early gramophone records
Gallery
[change | change source]
X. australis flower spike, flowering
X. preissii flower spike, after fruiting
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "xanthorrhoea". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989. "Bot. (With capital initial.)"
- ↑ Template:Flora of Australia Online
- 1 2 Ross, Graham (1998-06-26). Botanica. Milsons Point, N.S.W.: Random House. p. 938. ISBN 9780091837846.
- 1 2 "Xanthorrhoea". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021.
- ↑ Bedford, David J. (1986). "9. Xanthorrhoea". In George, A. S. (ed.). Flora of Australia: Iridaceae to Dioscoreaceae. Vol. 46. Canberra: Australian Govt. Pub. Service. pp. 148–169. ISBN 978-0-644-04356-4. OCLC 715706708. (PDF)
- ↑ Nelson, E. Charles; Bedford, D.J. (June 1993) [1993]. "The names of the Australian grass-tree: Xanthorrhoea Sm. and Acoroides C. Kite (Xanthorrhoeaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 112 (2): 95–105. doi:10.1006/bojl.1993.1044. OCLC 664816018. S2CID 91163322. ResearchGate Publication 229812945
- ↑ Dahlgren, R. M. T. (1980). "A revised system of classification of the angiosperms". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 80 (2). Oxford University Press (OUP): 91–124. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1980.tb01661.x. eISSN 1095-8339. ISSN 0024-4074. OCLC 974317225.
- ↑ "Xanthorrhoea- The Story of the Black Boy Plant". Florist with Flowers. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ↑ "'Blackboy Ridge' nature reserve told to change name due to cultural insensitivity". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
- 1 2 Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (2015). "lungtalanana, Babel Island & Big Dog Island: Healthy Country Plan 2015" (PDF). p. 5–7.
- ↑ Peters, Pam, The Cambridge Australian English Style Guide, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p823. ISBN 978-0-521-57634-5
- ↑ "Yakkas (Xanthorrhoea semiplana and X. quadrangulata)". Ligaya Garden. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ↑ "Xanthorrhoea australis". Australian National Botanic Gardens. February 2003. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ↑ Flora of Tasmania. Xanthorrhoea Australis [PDF]. Retrieved from http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Xanthorrhoea-australis-Notesheet.pdf Archived 23 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Petruzzello, M. (2017) Playing with Wildfire: 5 Amazing Adaptations of Pyrophytic Plants. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/list/5-amazing-adaptations-of-pyrophytic-plants
- ↑ Ward, D. (2004). Grasstrees show fire history. Australian Geographic, (75),28,
- ↑ Parks Victoria. (2016). Cinnamon Fungus. Retrieved from http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/parkmanagement/environment/weeds-and-pests/cinnamon-fungus[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Campbell, Colin (25 February 2006). "Grass Tree". Gardening Australia. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ↑ Hopper, S.; Lambers, H. (2014), "9. Human relationships with and use of Kwongan plants and lands", Plant life on the sandplains in southwest Australia : a global biodiversity hotspot : kwongan matters, Crawley, Western Australia UWA Publishing, pp. 287–90, ISBN 978-1-74258-564-2
- ↑ http://koorihistory.com/grass-tree-resin/ Hard Yakka! Grass Tree Resin (Xanthorrhoea)
- ↑ "Gardening Australia - Fact Sheet: Xanthorrea". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2007-09-15. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
- ↑ "Quantum - Ancient Resin". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2006-12-22. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
- Chase, Mark W.; Reveal, James L.; Fay, Michael F. (2009-10-08) [2009]. "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 132–136. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x. ISSN 0024-4074. OCLC 460811673. S2CID 83752262. ResearchGate Publication 229700277
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