Leaves basal, linear to sword-shaped, 8-55 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, flat, straight, smooth, hairless; margins hairless or with a felt-like band of dense hairs. Scape 10-80 cm long, hairless. Spathes equal, lanceolate to elliptic, 30-50 mm long, hairless, dark brown. Floral tube 25-40 mm long, hairy. Outer perianth segments 20-35 mm long, blueviolet. Syn. Patersonia longiscapa Sweet.

SW WA, SA, Vic, Tas.

P. juncea Lindl. from SW WA has leaves basal, linear, 7-22 cm long, 0.6-1.4 mm wide, cylindrical, straight, deeply grooved, papillose. Scape 5-24 cm long, hairless. Spathes lanceolate, 30-45 mm long, hairless, brown with broad papery margins. Floral tube 25-35 mm long, hairless. Outer perianth segments 15-20 mm long, 13-18 mm wide, violet. Seed dull brown.

P. sericea R. Br. from Qld, NSW,Vic has leaves basal, linear or sword-shaped, 15-50 cm long, straight, deeply grooved, hairless; margin brown-hairy. Scape 6-45 cm long, silky-hairy. Spathes equal, lanceolate to elliptic, 35-60 mm long, brown, covered with silky hairs. Floral tube 15-30 mm, the lower half pubescent. Outer perianth segments 20-30 mm long, blue violet. Seed wrinkled, brown.

 var. sericea from Qld, NSW,Vic has leaves flat, 2-6 mm wide. Scape 10-45 cm long.

var. longifolia (R. Br.) C. Moore & E. Betche from coastal NSW has leaves cylindrical, 1-2 mm wide. Scape 6-15 cm long.

P. rudis Endl. from WA is similar to P. sericea but the stems and leaves have pubescent bases.

Source: Cooke, D. (2005). Iridaceae. 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.