''Bulbine bulbosa'', commonly known as bulbine lily, native leek, golden lily, or native onion, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Asphodelaceae Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 40 ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Australia. It is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

with thick roots, channelled leaves, and yellow flowers with hairy stamen filaments.

Description

''Bulbine bulbosa'' is a perennial herb that grows in tufts high with thick, fleshy roots and usually a bulb-like

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

. There are between three and seven leaves, channelled to more or less cylindrical, tapering and hollow, up to long and wide. The flowers are borne in

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

s long with up to fifty fragrant flowers on one or two scapes long. Each flower is on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long with a

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

long at the base. The six

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s are yellow, long and wide, and the

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s are long with golden-brown, club-shaped hairs on the filaments, and gold-coloured

anthers The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

. Flowering occurs from February to March and the fruit is a more or less spherical to oval capsule long.

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown who gave it the name ''Anthericum bulbosa'' in his ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as ''Prodromus Flora Novae ...

''. In 1821,

Adrian Hardy Haworth Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the main ...

changed the name to ''Bulbine bulbosa'' in ''Revisiones Plantarum Succulentarum''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''bulbosa'') means "bulb", although the species does not form true

bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

s. The taxon may be a

complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

of up to four distinct species.

Distribution and habitat

''Bulbine bulbosa'' is found in all Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory, except for Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It grows in a wide range of habitats but usually in damp places in grassland, woodland and forest, sometimes at altitudes above .

Ecology

Experiments have shown that the ability of self-sown seeds of ''B. bulbosa'' to germinate between tufts of grasses of several species, depends on the species of grass and the gap width between the tufts. The experiments were performed to test the performance of the ''B. bulbosa'' in habitat reconstruction programs in south-eastern Australia.The mechanism of self-sterility in ''Bulbine bulbosa'': self-incompatibility or inbreeding depression.

Uses

Bush food

The corms of mature plants are nutritious, containing calcium and iron, and were used as food by

Aboriginal people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, who called it ''parm'', ''puewan'', and ''pike''. They regarded the corms as the sweetest-tasting of the lily and lily-like Australian plants.

Use in horticulture

The long-lasting stalks of fragrant, attractive yellow flowers and its moderate frost-hardiness have encouraged its use as a garden flower in suitable areas. Few garden varieties have been developed, however. The plant can be propagated from seeds or by division of the corm. Seeds are released from the ripened seed capsules and are best kept at least a month or two before use. They should be sown in the spring, and germination takes about 35 days. Watering and good drainage are essential. The species suppresses self-fertilization, so collecting seeds from garden-grown plants may result in low germination.Facilitated autogamy and costs of selfing in the perennial herb ''Bulbine bulbosa'' (Asphodelaceae).
/ref> Planting seeds from multiple sources may increase yield.

Toxicity

The plant is said to cause scouring if eaten by sheep or cattle. Plants for a Future - ''Bulbine bulbosa''
/ref>

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4987256 bulbosa Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of Tasmania Flora of South Australia Flora of Victoria (Australia) Plants described in 1810 Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)