Blandfordia Sm.

Christmas Bells

Named for George Spencer Churchill, Marquis of Blandford, 5th Duke of Marlborough (1766–1840), a patron of horticulture.

Perennial, rosette herbs with short rhizomes and more or less fleshy roots. Leaves perennial in a rosette, sheathing, linear. Flowers bisexual, bell-shaped, radially symmetrical, stalked, stalks not articulated. Inflorescences terminal, erect, few- to many- flowered racemes.Tepals 3+3, fused into a tube. Stamens 3+3, equal, attached to tube. Fruit a capsule. Seeds ovoid, brown, furry.

Grown for the spectacular colourful bell-shaped flowers and preferring moist, sandy or peaty soils.

4 species endemic to eastern subtropical and temperate Australia and Tas.

The rosette leaves from short rhizomes, and racemes of large bell-shaped pendulous red to yellow flowers.

Ingram (1965), Porter et al. (1992).

Source: Conran, J. (2005). Blandfordiaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Liliales
family       Blandfordiaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Blandfordia grandiflora R.Br.