Asteliaceae

Astelia Family

Perennial thick-rooted rhizomatous herbs. Leaves simple, entire, linear, rosette-forming. Flowers radially symmetrical, uni- or bisexual, numerous in terminal scapose racemes or panicles.Tepals 3+3, free; individual flower stalks absent or not articulated. Stamens 6, free or attached to the base of the tepals. Ovary superior, 3- chambered with numerous ovules. Fruit a few- to many- seeded berry or capsule. Seeds black.

John Conran.

The most closely related families are Blandfordiaceae and Hypoxidaceae.

4 genera in moist temperate Australia, New Zealand, S America and widely in the Pacific.

Rhizomatous perennial rosette herbs of cool moist places with silvery foliage.

Moore, L.B. (1966).

Source: Conran, J. (2005). Asteliaceae. 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
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
genus        Astelia R.Br.
genus        Milligania Hook.f.