Aquatic Plants

Lomandra longifolia
​
             Spiny Headed Matt-Rush

Wetland Planting Zone	Ephemeral Batter
Approved Format	>90cm3 plants (such as 93cc HIKO stock)
Family	Asparagaceae
Form	Lomandra longifolia is a tufted perennial herb that grows to 1.2m with dainty, attractive cream-yellow flowers
Foliage	Leaves flat or slightly concavo-convex, occasionally rolled, usually 50-100cm long, 5-7.5mm wide, glabrous. Apex 2- or 3-toothed, central tooth in pronounced sinus or longer than laterals; sheath margins intact or coarsely split, brown, orange-brown or reddish brown, occasionally white
Flowers	The inflorescence is usually a panicle of clusters of sessile flowers. Each cluster has a sharp, slender straw-coloured bract at its base, which gives it a dense spike-like structure. The inflorescence is usually about half the leaf length (500mm) and individual flowers are about 4mm long.
Fruit	Shiny brown-orange fruits can remain on the bracts throughout the year
Habitat	Highly drought-tolerant but can also tolerate occasional flooding, withstand low temperature down to -7 degrees, and succeeds in moist soil in Australia. However, the plant can die back when it is in a wet winter nor does it survive well in areas with cooler summers
Distinctive Features	Square or concave leaf tips are distinctive of Lomandras
Similar Species	L. longifolia is closely related to Lomandra hystrix, the main differences being that the leaf of L. hystrix has teeth on each side of the longer main end point, whereas that of L. longifolia has side teeth equal if not longer than the central one (a W shape)
Comments	The heavy-smelling nectar on the flowers can attract pollinating beetles. Seeds can be ground into flour as a food source.