| Pale Grass Lily | |
|---|---|
| Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| clade: | Angiosperms |
| clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Xanthorrhoeaceae |
| Subfamily: | Hemerocallidoideae |
| Genus: | Caesia |
| Species: | C. parviflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Caesia parviflora R.Br. |
|
Caesia parviflora, the Pale Grass Lily is a common small plant found in many parts of Australia.
A small plant up to 50 cm tall, found in heath, woodland and dry sclerophyll forest, usually near grasses.[1] Often on sandstone based soils. The lily type flower is about 12mm wide and bears three grey or purple stripes on each petal. Flowering occurs in spring and summer.
The original specimen was collected in Sydney, dated 16 October 1803. And in 1810, the species appeared in scientific literature, in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown. The generic name is in honour of Federico Cesi, a 17th century Italian naturalist. The specific epithet parviflora translates to "small flowered".
At least three sub-species are recognised