Wurmbea citrina (R.J.Bates) R.J.Bates APNI* Synonyms: Wurmbea dioica subsp. citrina R.J.Bates APNI*
Description: Herb 2–30 cm high; dioecious.
Leaves 3, well separated, 5–10 cm long; lowest leaf basal, linear-lanceolate, 3–15 mm wide; middle leaf shorter, long-tepering apex, base dilated; uppermost leaf very short, strongly dilated, with acuminate apex.
Inflorescence open, spike often flexuose, several to many (-20)-flowered; flowers unisexual, dimorphic; male flowers larger, more numerous, with narrower tepals than female. Tepals 7–8 mm long, yellow-green with greenish brown nectary; nectary 1 per tepal, about a third above the base, a slightly thickened transverse band, not clasping the filaments. Stamens half as long as tepals; anthers c. 1.5 mm long, purple-brown.
Capsule with rounded segments, not ribbed, splitting septicidally. Seeds dark brown, c. 1.2 mm diam.
Flowering: Autumn to early spring, after rain.
Distribution and occurrence: In western regions of NSW, west of a line from Nyngan to Griffith. Also in inland SA. Claypans; shallow sand over clay.
NSW subdivisions: NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: S.A.
Most readily distinguished from W. dioica when fresh: tepals are greenish yellow with a greenish brown nectary, and are described as thicker textured than in W. dioica. The capsule is more globose than in W. dioica, and the corm is probably usually more deeply buried than in W. dioica.
Text by KL Wilson (September 2015)
Taxon concept: RJ Bates (1995) J Adelaide Bot. Garden 16
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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