| Xanthorrhoea malacophylla | |
|---|---|
| Culivated specimen in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| clade: | Angiosperms |
| clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Xanthorrhoeaceae |
| Subfamily: | Xanthorrhoeoideae |
| Genus: | Xanthorrhoea |
| Species: | X. malacophylla |
| Binomial name | |
| Xanthorrhoea malacophylla D.J.Bedford |
|
Xanthorrhoea malacophylla is a species of grasstree of the genus Xanthorrhoea. It is endemic to New South Wales, Australia. Mature plants form a single or branched trunk that ranges between 2 and 6 metres in height. The grass-like leaves, which are usually around 3 mm wide, are distinguished from other species by their softness and sponginess.[1] The flowers appear between May and September in scapes that are between 1.3 and 1.8 metres long.[2]
The species was first formally described in 1986 based on plant material collected in 1964 from Queens Lake State Forest near Kew.[3] It occurs on steep hillsides in coastal ranges beween Wyong and Casino.