Grass TreesXanthorrhoea media Xanthorrhoea thorntonii
Commonly known as the Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea media), is a medium sized grass tree. The flowers are borne on a long spike above a bare section called a scape. The flower spike can measure between 90 cm to 2 metres tall (although the flowers make up approximately 1/6 of the total height of the flower spike).
Pictured on this page is the Xanthorrhoea media growing at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
Xanthorrhoea media occurs from Stony Hill to Hilltop on the central coast of New South Wales, as far north-west as Sandy Hollow. Occurs on sandstone, usually on the drier, more exposed ridges and hillsides.
Thousands of years ago, this coastal region that includes the harbourside area of Sydney CBD was bushland that belonged to the Indigenous Australians of the Gadigal group of the Eora Nation. The area of the Sydney CBD that includes the botanic garden was called ‘Cadi’, which is the name for the grass tree in the Cadi language.
These flowering plants are endemic to Australia and was used by Aboriginal people in a number of ways, including making weapons, cutting implements and for food.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Charophyta
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnmoliidae
- Superorder: Lilianae
- Order: Asparagales
- Family: Asphodelaceae
- Subfamily: Xanthorrhoeoideae
- Genus: Xanthorrhoea
- Species: Xanthorrhoea media
Footnote & References
- Grass Trees – Grass or Trees?, The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/learn/living-learning/primary-school-resources/roots-shoots-flowers-and-fruits/grass-trees-grass-or-trees
Grass TreesXanthorrhoea media Xanthorrhoea thorntonii
Grass and GrassesGrasses – image index Birdwood Buffel (Cenchrus setiger) Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) Fairy Grass (Sporobolus caroli) Finger Grass (Chloris barbata) Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) Silkyheads (Cymbopogon obtectus) Wanderrie Grass (Eriachne sp)
FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodum cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona