''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and to the southernmost tip of South America. A significant number of the known species are endemic to New Zealand., search for "Astelia" The species generally grow in forests, swamps and amongst low alpine vegetation; occasionally they are

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

Species

The genus is divided into a number of subgenera and these are further divided into sections. These contain the following species: * subgenus ''Astelia'' ** section ''Astelia'' *** ''

Astelia alpina ''Astelia alpina'' called pineapple grass, silver astelia, or perching lily is a commonly found species in alpine and subalpine areas of Tasmania and the Australian Alps.Pickering, C.M., Jordan, M., and Hill, W. (2004) "Sexual dimorphism and sex ...

'' R.Br. - Pineapple Grass, Silver Astelia, native to eastern Australia **** ''Astelia alpina'' var. ''alpina'' **** ''Astelia alpina'' var. ''novae-hollandiae'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia papuana ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' Skottsb.- native to New Guinea *** ''

Astelia linearis ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' Hook.f.- native to North and South Islands of New Zealand **** ''Astelia linearis'' var. ''linearis'' **** ''Astelia linearis'' var. ''novae-zelandiae'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia subulata ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' (Hook.f.) Cheesem. - native to South Island + Antipodean Islands of New Zealand ** section ''Palaeastelia'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia hemichrysa ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' (Lam.) Kunth - native to

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

+ Mauritius * subgenus ''Asteliopsis'' Skottsb. ** section ''Desmoneuron'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia solandri ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' A.Cunn. - native to North and South Islands of New Zealand *** ''

Astelia trinervia ''Astelia trinervia'' is a species of rhizomatous tufted perennial native to New Zealand. An example occurrence of this species is in the North Island's Hamilton Ecological District, where it occurs in the understory associated with ''Blechnum d ...

'' Kirk - native to North Island and north-west South Island of New Zealand *** ''

Astelia nadeaudii ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' Drake - native to Tahiti + Raiatea in French Polynesia *** ''Astelia raiateensis'' J.W.Moore - see ''

'' ** section ''Isoneuron'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia banksii ''Astelia banksii'' is an evergreen silver-green plant from the beaches of New Zealand. It likes it best in partial shade and in infertile and well-drained soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt Dirt is an unclean m ...

'' A.Cunn. - Native to North Island of New Zealand *** ''

Astelia neocaledonica ''Astelia neocaledonica'' is a rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks ...

'' Schltr. - endemic to

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. * subgenus ''Collospermum'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia hastata ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the s ...

'' Colenso - New Zealand - formerly ''Collospermum hastatum'' (Colenso) Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia microsperma ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the s ...

'' Colenso - North Island of New Zealand - formerly ''Collospermum microspermum'' (Colenso) Skottsb. *** '' Astelia montana'' Seem. -

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

and Vanuatu - formerly ''Collospermum montanum'' (Seem.) Skottsb. *** '' Astelia samoense'' (Skottsb.) Birch - Samoa - formerly ''Collospermum samoense'' Skottsb. *** ''Astelia spicata'' Colenso, formerly ''Collospermum spicatum'' (Colenso) Skottsb., would fall into this subgenus but was rejected by Birch as a species. * subgenus ''Tricella'' Skottsb. ** section ''Tricella'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia australiana ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' (J.H.Willis) L.B.Moore - Tall Astelia, native to the State of Victoria in Australia *** ''

Astelia chathamica ''Astelia chathamica'', the Chatham Islands kakaha, Maori flax, or silver spear, is a species of flowering plant in the recently named family Asteliaceae. It is an evergreen silver-green perennial from the Chatham Islands of New Zealand, growing ...

'' (Skottsb.) L.B.Moore - Silver Spear, native to Chatham Islands of New Zealand *** ''

Astelia fragrans ''Astelia fragrans'', commonly known as bush lily, bush flax or kakaha, is the most common astelia species found in New Zealand. It grows from sea level to elevations of approximately 900 metres. ''A. fragrans'' has long, sword-like green leav ...

'' Col. - Bush Flax, Bush Lily, Kakaha, native to North and South Islands of New Zealand *** ''

Astelia graminea ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the sout ...

'' L.B.Moore- native to northern South Island of New Zealand *** '' Astelia grandis'' Hook.f. ex Kirk- native to North and South Islands of New Zealand *** ''

Astelia nervosa ''Astelia nervosa'', also known as mountain astelia or, along with a number of other species, as bush flax, is a herbaceous plant native to New Zealand. ''A. nervosa'' has long, flexible, leathery leaves that are light green and grey in colour. ...

'' Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f.- Mountain Astelia, native to North and South Islands of New Zealand *** '' Astelia nivicola'' Ckn. ex Cheesem. - native to South Island of New Zealand **** ''Astelia nivicola'' var. ''nivicola'' **** ''Astelia nivicola'' var. ''moriceae'' L.B.Moore *** ''

Astelia petriei ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the s ...

'' Ckn. - native to South Island of New Zealand *** ''

Astelia psychrocharis ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southern ...

'' F.Muell. - Kosciusko Pineapple Grass, native to Mt. Kosciusko in Australia *** ''

Astelia skottsbergii ''Astelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic ...

'' L.B.Moore - native to north-west South Island of New Zealand ** section ''Periastelia'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia argyrocoma ''Astelia argyrocoma'' is a species of astelia endemic to the highlands of Kauaʻi in the state of Hawaii, United States. This plant is found only in native Hawaiian tropical rainforests The Hawaiian tropical rainforests are a tropical moist ...

'' A.Heller ex Skottsb. - native to

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

Island in Hawaii *** '' Astelia menziesiana'' Sm. in A.Rees - native to Hawaii *** '' Astelia rapensis'' Skottsb. - native to Rapa-Iti Island in French Polynesia *** '' Astelia tovii'' F.Br. - Marquesas in French Polynesia *** ''

Astelia waialealae ''Astelia waialealae'' is a rare species of plant in the Asteliaceae family that is endemic to the island of Kauai of the state of Hawaii in United States. It inhabits montane bogs within the vicinity of the Alakai Swamp on the island's centra ...

'' Wawra - native to Kauai Island in Hawaii ** section ''Micrastelia'' Skottsb. *** ''

Astelia pumila ''Astelia pumila'' is a species of flowering plant in the recently named family Asteliaceae. It is an evergreen silver-green perennial from western Patagonia in southern Chile and nearby areas of Argentina. It grows in forests as well as wetland ...

'' (J.R.Forst.) Gaudich. - native to western Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands

References

* Asparagales genera Asteliaceae Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Taxa named by Daniel Solander Taxa named by Joseph Banks {{Asparagales-stub