Blandfordia punicea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tasmanian Christmas Bell

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Blandfordiaceae
Genus:	Blandfordia
Species:	B. punicea

Binomial name

Blandfordia punicea
(Labill.) Sweet

Blandfordia punicea, commonly known as Tasmanian Christmas Bell, is a species of flowering plant which is native to western Tasmania in Australia.

The bell-shaped flowers are red with yellow tips and are about 4 cm long. They occur in a terminal raceme on a stalk up to 1 metre in height and are usually very prominent in their native habitat, often rising above ground-level vegetation between mid-spring and early autumn. The leaves, which are strap-like and slightly serrated on the edges, range between 15 and 45 cm in length.

An Australian 50c stamp depicting the species was issued on February 13, 2007.

[edit] Synonyms

Synonyms for this species include:

Aletris punicea Labill.
Blandfordia backhousii Lindl. nom. inval.
Blandfordia grandiflora var. backhousii Hook.f.
Blandfordia grandiflora var. intermedia (Herb.) Baker
Blandfordia grandiflora var. marginata (Herb.) Hook.f.
Blandfordia marginata Herb.

[edit] References

Cochrane, G.R., Fuhrer, B.A., Rotherdam, E.M., Simmons, J.& M. and Willis, J.H. (1980) Flowers and Plants of Victoria and Tasmania , A.H. & A.W. Reed, Sydney.
Blandfordia punicea (Labill.) Sweet. Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
Australian Stamp Bulletin No. 286 January - March 2007.