Lomandra rigida, commonly known as stiff mat rush, is a herbaceous perennial plant endemic to the southern coast of Southwest Australia.

Lomandra rigida
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Lomandroideae
Genus: Lomandra
Species:
L. rigida
Binomial name
Lomandra rigida
Synonyms

Xerotes rigida (Labill.) R.Br.

Taxonomy

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First described by Jacques Labillardière in 1805, using specimens he obtained while voyaging along the Australian coast. The type specimen is noted as collected "in terrâ Van-Leuwin".[1] The species was assigned to genus Xerotes by Robert Brown in 1810, this combination is currently regarded as a synonym for the original description.[2]

Description

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A mat forming perennial plant, growing to a height between 0.1 and 0.3 metres.[3] They are a dioecious species, separated as male and female individuals, that present cream or yellow flowers around October to December.[3] The leaves terminate in a pair of spines.[4]

Ecology

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Endemic to sand on granitic outcrops at the coast of the eastern Esperance Plains and offshore islands at the Recherche Archipelago.[4][1] The dense and spiny mats formed by the plant provides habitat for other organisms and a deterrent to herbivores, the assemblage of plants may include Caladenia heberleana and Anthocercis vicosa subsp. caudata.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "APNI - Lomandra rigida". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  2. ^ "APC Format - Lomandra rigida". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Lomandra rigida". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. ^ a b c Nikulinsky, P.; Hopper, S.D. (2008). Life on the rocks : the art of survival (Revised ed.). Fremantle Press. pp. 178–79. ISBN 9781921361289.