Helmholtzia glaberrima
Encyclopedia
Helmholtzia glaberrima, commonly referred to as Stream Lily, is a rhizomatous
perennial plant
which is native to New South Wales
and Queensland
in Australia
.
Stream Lilies have long, dark-green strap-like leaves and form clumps that are up to 2 metres high. The tall flower spikes, which appear in the summer, are white or pale pink.
They occur in and the McPherson Range
and nearby areas of rainforest
along creeks and gullies.
The species was first formally described by Engish botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker
in The Botanical Magazine in 1873. He gave it the name Philydrum glaberrimum. The species was transferred to the genus Helmholtzia
in 1881.
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
which is native to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Stream Lilies have long, dark-green strap-like leaves and form clumps that are up to 2 metres high. The tall flower spikes, which appear in the summer, are white or pale pink.
They occur in and the McPherson Range
McPherson Range
The McPherson Range is an extensive mountain range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, heading in an easterly direction from near Wallangarra to the Pacific Ocean coastline. It forms part of the Scenic Rim on the border between the states of New South Wales and Queensland. Further west of the...
and nearby areas of rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
along creeks and gullies.
The species was first formally described by Engish botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
in The Botanical Magazine in 1873. He gave it the name Philydrum glaberrimum. The species was transferred to the genus Helmholtzia
Helmholtzia
Helmholtzia is a small genus of flowering plants which are native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, and New Guinea.The genus was named for Hermann von Helmholtz, a German physician and physicist, by botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1865....
in 1881.