Flora of New Zealand Series

Anthericum cirratum Forst. f. Prodr. 1786,  24.

Rengarenga; rock lily.

Type locality: "Noua Zeelandia". Type:?

Robust evergreen plants us. forming extensive colonies. Rhizome half-woody, 1–2 cm. diam., with very short internodes. Lvs 30–60 × 3–10 cm., narrow-lanceolate, subfleshy; veins ∞, fine, subequal; sheath short to long. Infl. exceeding lvs; peduncle stiff, c. = panicle; panicle broad with strong laterals, occ. again branched; main bracts green and lflike. Fls mostly in uneven-aged groups of 2–3; pedicels c. 2 cm. long, white above the joint. Per. c. 2–4 cm. diam., white; outer tepals narrow, inner of thinner texture, broader, obtuse with slightly erose margins. Stamens < tepals; anther-tails purplish at the top, white in the middle and golden yellow at the free curled ends. Capsule c. 8 × 6 mm., shallowly sulcate with rounded valves, dehiscing widely. Seeds c. 12 in each locule, c. 2 mm. long, black with a surface pattern of flat-topped papillae. 2n = 22.

DIST.: N., S., north of c. lat. 42º 30'.

Near the sea, us. on rock, often in colonies.

FL. (9)–11–12. FT. 12–2.

Very widely grown in gardens and showing a great range in size of all parts, even amongst plants of different provenance growing side by side.