Australia So Much to See

Sources used for identification of wildflowers including Aboriginal names shown on these pages, and regions where they occur, are listed under Credits

These pages will feature some of the wildflowers we have photographed in Western Australia, and where possible, identified. If you are able to help identify further flowers, or correct any I may have wrong, please contact us.

Information given for each species will give botanical name, known common names, describe the flower, give time of year it was seen, where it was photographed, and the areas it occurs in. Names have been matched to Florabase which has also been used to show distribution.

See some of these wildflowers in larger sized photos on our Flickr pages.

Home > Lists and Links > Nature in Australia > Alphabetical Wildflower Index > Wildflowers L-5

Lomandra nigricans, Black Mat-rush

Tiny white cluster flowers group up the stem, sometimes with branches on lower section. Flowers have a touch of purple at the tips, from a plant slender strap-like foliage. Seed pods form in two shades of green, looking like tiny little round watermelons.

May to August

Bridgetown, and found in the Great Southern region and along to south coast to east of Esperance, around Perth and in the South West region, also recorded from the Chapman Valley.

Lomandra preissi, Preiss Mat Rush

A reed like plant with purple buds and yellow flowers at the tip of a long spike, standing up to a a metre tall. Flowers can be purple and yellow, or plain green (for both male and female plants), or china blue (male plants only)

Srping

Bridgetown, South West region, Western Australia and found through the South West, Great Southern, Perth and Wheatbelt regions, and along the south coast to Hopetoun.

Lomandra purpurea, Purple Mat Rush

A reed like plant with purple flowers with yellow stamens in clusters along a stem

Spring

Bridgetown, South West Region, Western Australia, and found between Perth and Albany mainly confined to the south west corner of the state.

There were six clusters of flowers along a leaning flower stalk, one shown above.

Lomandra integra, Mat rush, Cockys Bootlace, Iron Grass. These names are used across the species of Lomandra.

Tiny white cluster flowers in groups up the stem, female flower at left, with male and female flowers on the same plant. Five petaled tiny white semi-translucent flowers from a plant with strappy foliage. Shiny yellow seed pods.

August to November

Bridgetown, and occurs through the South West, Great Southern and Perth regions, and into the adjacent areas of the Wheatbelt.

Lomandra effusa, Scented Matrush, Scented Mat-Rush, Iron Grass, Cockys Bootlace, Xerotes Effusa, Xerotes Fragrans. Some of these names are used across the species of Lomandra.

Arching leaves are flat, and can by sixty to eighty centimetres long, two to three millimetres wide, hairless, finely striated, tapering to two sharp points at the tip. Male and female flowers are similar and both occur on the same plant. Flowers are strongly scented, white, cream or pale pink, and funnel shaped. Grows in tussocks.
August

Karomin Rock, Nungarin Shire, Wheatbelt region, Western Australia, with this specimen seen at the damp base of a granite outcrop, one of this species favoured locations. Found in areas of the Mid West, through the inland Wheatbelt, parts of the Great Southern and scattered through the Goldfields.

Lomandra caespitosa, Tufted Mat rush. Uncertain due to this plant having shorter and wider foliage than typical of Lomandra caespitosa.
A rush-like plant with long narrow leaves to forty centimetres. Longitudinal striping on foliage. Yellow flowers up the flowers stem, with awns protruding between flowers.

September

Bridgetown, South West region, Western Australia. Grows from Carnamah shire in the Mid West, through western parts of the Wheatbelt, Perth and Peel regions, South West and Great Southern regions.

Lomandra suaveolens, Many-flowered Mat rush, Many flowered Mat-lily, Cockys Bootlace, Iron Grass, with the latter two names shared with other Lomandra species.
Tiny white or yellow flowers in a cluster at the base of a rush-like plant with obvious longitudinal striping on the foliage.
May

Bridgetown, South West region, Western Australia. Grows from Coorow shire in the Mid West, through parts of the Wheatbelt, Perth and Peel regions, parts of the South West and Great Southern regions.

Yellow flowering Lomandra at right may be a colour variation of Lomandra suaveolens.