FLORA OF AUSTRALIA Volume 46 Iridaceae to Dioscoreaceae This volume was published before the Commonwealth Government moved to Creative Commons Licensing. © Commonwealth of Australia 1986. This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced or distributed by any process or stored in any retrieval system or data base without prior written permission from the copyright holder. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: [email protected] FLORA OF AUSTRALIA The nine families in this volume of the Flora of Australia are Iridaceae, Aloeaceae, Agavaceae, Xanthorrhoeaceae, Hanguan- aceae, Taccaceae, Stemonaceae, Smilacaceae and Dioscoreaceae. The Xanthorrhoeaceae has the largest representation with 10 genera and 99 species. Most are endemic with a few species of Lomandra and Romnalda extending to neighbouring islands. The family includes the spectacular blackboys and grass-trees. The Iridaceae is largely represented by naturalised species with 52 of the 78 species being introduced. Many of the introductions are ornamentals and several have become serious weeds. Patersonia is the largest genus with all 17 species endemic. Some of these are cultivated as ornamentals. The Dioscoreaccae is a family of economic significance, particularly in the old world tropics where some species are cultivated or collected for their tubers and bulbils. In Australia there are 5 species, one of which is a recent introduction. The endemic and native species, commonly known as yams, are traditionally eaten by the Aborigines. Twenty six new taxa in the Xanthorrhoeaceae, Stemonaceae and Smilacaceae are described for the first time. They include a new genus, Xerolirion, in the Xanthorrhoeaceae. Cover: Patersonia occidentalis R.Br. (Iridaceae). Painting by Anita Podwyszynski. Contents of volumes in the Flora of Australia, the families (current at January 1986) arranged according to the system of A.Cronquist (1981). Volume 1 Cannabaceae Volume 7 Volume 10 Haloragales Moraceae Haloragaceae Introduction Urticaceae Malvales Ebenales Gunneraceae Elaeocarpaceae Sapotaceae Myrtales Fagales Tiliaceae Ebenaceae Sonneratiaceae Balanopaceae Sterculiaceae Symplocaceae Lythraceae Volume 2 Betulaceae Bombacaceae Thymelaeaceae Fagaceae Malvaceae Primulales Magnoliales Myrsinaceae Punicaceae Winteraceae Casuarinales Primulaceae Onagraceae Himantandraceae Casuarinaceae Melastomataceae Eupomatiaceae Volume 8 Rosales Combretaceae Austrobaileyaceae Connaraceae Trapaceae Magnoliaceae Volume 4 Lecythidales Eucryphiaceae Annonaceae Lecythidaceae Cunoniaceae Myristicaceae Davidsoniaceae Volumes 19, 20, 21 Caryophyllales Nepenthales Pittosporaceae Laurales Phytolaccaceae Nepenthaceae Byblidaceae Monimiaceae Nyctaginaceae Droseraceae Grossulariaceae Myrtaceae Idiospermaceae Aizoaceae Alseuosmiaceae Lauraceae Cactaceae Violales Crassulaceae Hernandiaceae Chenopodiaceae Flacourtiaceae Cephalotaceae Volume 22 Bixaceae Saxifragaceae Piperales Cistaceae Rosaceae Rhizophorales Piperaceae Violaceae Volume 5 Chrysobalanaceae Rhizophoraceae Tamaricaceae Surianaceae Aristolochiales Frankeniaceae Amaranthaceae Cornales Aristolochiaceae Passifloraceae Portulacaceae Alangiaceae Basellaceae Cucurbitaceae Nymphaeales Molluginaceae Datiscaceae Volumes 11, 12 Santalales Nelumbonaceae Caryophyllaceae Olacaceae Nymphaeaceae Salicales Fabales Opiliaceae Salicaceae Mimosaceae Cabombaceae Polygonales Santalaceae Ceratophyllaceae Polygonaceae Caesalpiniaceae Capparales Loranthaceae Viscaceae Ranunculales Plumbaginales Capparaceae Balanophoraceae Ranunculaceae Plumbaginaceae Brassicaceae Moringaceae Volumes 13, 14, 15 Berberidaceae Rafflesiales Menispermaceae Resedaceae Fabaceae Rafflesiaceae Batales Papaverales Volume 6 Celastrales Gyrostemonaceae Papaveraceae Celastraceae Bataceae Fumariaceae Dilleniales Volumes 16, 17 Hippocrateaceae Dilleniaceae Stackhousiaceae Proteales Aquifoliaceae Theales Volume 9 Elaeagnaceae Icacinaceae Volume 3 Ochnaceae Proteaceae Cardiopteridaceae Theaceae Corynocarpaceae Hamamelidales Actinidiaceae Ericales Epacridaceae Dichapetalaceae Hamamelidaceae Elatinaceae Ericaceae Clusiaceae Volume 18 Urticales Ulmaceae Podostemales Podostemaceae Volume 23 Volume 28 Bignoniaceae Cymodoceaceae Bromeliales Lentibulariaceae Zosteraceae Bromeliaceae Euphorbiales Gentianales Triuridales Zingiberales Euphorbiaceae Loganiaceae Triuridaceae Musaceae Gentianaceae Volume 34 Zingiberaceae Apocynaceae Arecales Costaceae Asclepiadaceae Volume 24 Campanulales Arecaceae Cannaceae Sphenocleaceae Pandanales Rhamnales Campanulaceae Liliales Pandanaceae Rhamnaceae Volume 29 Stylidiaceae Philydraceae Donatiaceae Pontederiaceae Leeaceae Arales Vitaceae Solanales Haemodoraceae Araceae Liliaceae Solanaceae Lemnaceae Linales Volume 35 Erythroxylaceae Linaceae Volume 46 Volume 30 Brunoniaceae Volume 40 Polygalales Goodeniaceae Iridaceae Malpighiaceae Convolvulaceae Commelinales Aloecaceae Tremandraceae Cuscutaceae Xyridaceae Agavaceae Polygalaceae Menyanthaceae Volume 36 Commelinaceae Xanthorrhoeaceae Xanthophyllaceae Polemoniaceae Hanguanaceae Hydrophyllaceae Rubiales Eriocaulales Taccaceae Eriocaulaceae Lamiales Rubiaceae Stemonaceae Volume 25 Boraginaceae Smilacaceae Dipsacales Restionales Dioscoreaceae Verbenaceae Flagellariaceae Sapindales Caprifoliaceae Restionaceae Melianthaceae Valerianaceae Centrolepidaceae Akaniaceae Dipsacaceae Volume 31 Volume 47 Sapindaceae Juncales Aceraceae Juncaceae Orchidales Burseraceae Lamiaceae Volumes 37, 38 Burmanniaceae Anacardiaceae Corsiaceae Simaroubaceae Orchidaceae Asterales Volumes 41, 42 Volume 32 Asteraceae Volume 26 Cyperales Callitrichales Cyperaceae Volume 48 Callitrichaceae Volume 39 Meliaceae Gymnospermae Plantaginales Rutaceae Alismatales Plantaginaceae Volumes 43, 44 Pteridophyta Zygophyllaceae Limnocharitaceae Scrophulariales Alismataceae Poaceae Oleaceae Volume 27 Scrophulariaceae Hydrocharitales Volume 49, 50 Hydrocharitaceae Oceanic Islands Geraniales Najadales Volume 45 Oxalidaceae Volume 33 Aponogetonaceae Geraniaceae Juncaginaceae Hydatellales Tropaeolaceae Myoporaceae Potamogetonaceae Hydatellaceae Volume 51 et seq. Orobanchaceae Ruppiaceae Apiales Typhales Gesneriaceae Najadaceae Non-vascular plants Araliaceae Sparganiaceae Acanthaceae Zannichelliaceae Apiaceae Typhaceae Pedaliaceae Posidoniaceae FLORA OF AUSTRALIA Patersonia occidentalis R.Br. Painting by Anita Podwyszynski. BUREAU OF FLORA AND FAUNA, CANBERRA FLORA OF AUSTRALIA Volume 46 Iridaceae to Dioscoreaceae Australian Government Publishing Service Canberra 1986 © Commonwealth of Australia 1986 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Alexander S. George This work may be cited as: Flora of Australia Volume 46, Iridaceae to Dioscoreaceae, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra (1986). Individual contributions may be cited thus: D.A.Cooke, Iridaceae, Flora of Australia 46: 1–66 (1986). National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Flora of Australia. Volume 46, Iridaceae to Dioscoreaceae. Includes index. ISBN 0 644 04356 3. ISBN 0 644 04357 1 (soft cover). ISBN 0 642 07013 X (set). ISBN 0 642 07016 4 (set soft cover). 1. Botany – Australia I. Australia. Bureau of Flora and Fauna. II. Title: Iridaceae to Dioscoreaceae. 581.994 Printed at Griffen Press Limited, Marion Road, Netley, South Australia CONTENTS Contributors to Volume 46 vi Illustrators viii Flora Editorial Committee ix Introduction xi Iridaceae D.A.Cooke 1 Aloeaceae P.I.Forster & H.T.Clifford 66 Agavaceae P.I.Forster & L.Pedley 71 Xanthorrhoeaceae D.J.Bedford, A.T.Lee, T.D.Macfarlane, R.J.F.Henderson & A.S.George 88 Hanguanaceae H.J.Hewson 172 Taccaceae H.J.Hewson 174 Stemonaceae I.R.H.Telford 177 Smilacaceae J.G.Conran & H.T.Clifford 180 Dioscoreaceae I.R.Telford 196 Maps 203 Appendix: new taxa, combinations etc. 220 Supplementary Glossary 232 Abbreviations & Contractions 233 Publication date of the previous volumes 235 Index 237 Endpapers Front Contents of volumes in the Flora of Australia, the families arranged according to the system of A.Cronquist, An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants (1981). Back: Flora of Australia: Index to families of flowering plants. v CONTRIBUTORS TO VOLUME 46 Mr David J.Bedford, National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie’s Road, Sydney, New South Wales 2000. Professor H.Trevor Clifford, Botany Department, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4067. Mr John G.Conran, Department of Botany, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168. Mr David A.Cook, State Herbarium, The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000. MsJoy Everett, National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, New South Wales 2000. Mr Paul I.Forster, Botany Department, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4067. Mr Alexander S.George, Bureau of Flora and Fauna, Department of Arts, Heritage and Environment, GPO Box 1383, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601. Mr Rodney J.F.Henderson, Queensland Herbarium, Department of Primary Industries, Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Queensland 4068. Dr Helen J.Hewson, Bureau of Flora and Fauna, Department of Arts, Heritage and Environment, GPO Box 1383, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601. Dr Alma T.Lee, 40 Manor Road, Hornsby, New South Wales 2077. Dr Terry D.Macfarlane,