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Volume II (1970) - Flora of New Zealand Indigenous Tracheophyta - Monocotyledons except Graminae
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Libertia Spreng.

LIBERTIA Spreng., 1824

Libertia C. Spreng. nom. cons. : type sp., L. ixioides (Forst. f.) Spreng. Spp. have appeared also under Sisyrinchium, Renealmia and Nematostigma.

Panicles laxly branched or with dense clusters of fls, sts very simple; sterile spathes foliaceous, floral bracts membr. Fls us. white. Per. spreading; tepals free, the outer 3 us. < inner 3. Staminal filaments free or shortly connate at base, ± flattened; anthers versatile. Ovary 3-locular; style short with 3 ± keeled entire branches that spread between stamens. Fr. a subglobose to oblong or pyriform capsule. Seeds ∞, rounded to angular, ± foveolate. Tufted, shortly rhizomatous or stoloniferous herbs of grass-like habit, wholly or almost completely glab. Lvs us. in flattened fans. Perhaps a dozen spp. of S. America, Australia, New Guinea, and N.Z. N.Z. spp. endemic except L. pulchella.

Key

1
Lvs rarely > 10 cm. × 2 mm., one surface smoother than the other; outer tepals little < inner
1. pulchella
Lvs us. > 10 cm. × 2 mm., the two surfaces similar; outer tepals definitely < inner
2
2
Infl. lax with wide-angle branching, us. overtopping lvs at fr.; capsule ripening rapidly, dehiscing shortly after attaining full size, often dark
2. grandiflora
Infl. stiff with narrow-angle branching, us. overtopped by lvs at fr.; capsule ripening slowly, us. undehisced long after attaining full size, often ± yellow
3
3
Plant without stolons (except in one geographically restricted form); capsule yellow, becoming paler with age, dehiscing to show rounded yellow seeds
3. ixioides
Plant spreading widely by stolons; capsule yellow or brown, ultimately black, us. indehiscent; seeds light brown
4. peregrinans

Moore (N.Z. J. Bot. 5, 1967, 255–75) discusses the N.Z. spp.

Fig. 17. LIBERTIA. L. pulchella : flower-bud; perianth. L. grandiflora : flower-bud; dry capsule with valves widely recurved. L. ixioides : flower-bud; dry capsule. L. peregrinans : flower-bud; perianth; dry capsule. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X28]
Fig. 17. LIBERTIA. L. pulchella : flower-bud; perianth. L. grandiflora : flower-bud; dry capsule with valves widely recurved. L. ixioides : flower-bud; dry capsule. L. peregrinans : flower-bud; perianth; dry capsule. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X28]
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