Calectasia cyanea

Family: Dasypogonaceae
Distribution: Forest and woodland in the south-west of Western Australia
Common Name: Blue Tinsel Lily
Conservation Status: Listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act* (ie. extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future, as determined in accordance with prescribed criteria). Classified as 2ECt under the ROTAP * system.
Derivation of Name: Calectasia… from Greek kalos, “beautiful”, and ektasis, “development”, a reference to the spreading petals.
cyanea… from Greek cyanos, “blue”, referring to the colour of the flowers.

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General Description:

Calectasia is a genus comprising 15 species of perennial herbs. 14 species are found in the south-west of Western Australia with the remaining species (C. intermedia) occurring across the southern border regions of South Australia and Victoria.

C. cyanea is a tufted perennial herb 40 to 60 cm high by about 30 cm wide.  The short, narrow leaves are up to 1.5 cm long, tapering to a point.  The blue star-shaped flowers have 6 petals and are about 3 cm in diameter with 6 yellow stamens. The flowers fade as they age and are seen in winter and spring.

Blue Tinsel Lily is a very desirable garden plant or for growing in a container.  However, it is rarely, if ever, available commercially due to its highly endangered status.  If a plant can be found, it would require a moist, well drained position in a lightly shaded location.

Seed is not commercially available so the only viable means of propagation would be by division of an established plant, if one can be found in cultivation.

* EPBC Act = Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999;
ROTAP = Rare or Threatened Australian Plants (Briggs and Leigh, 1988)
For further information refer the Australian Plants at Risk page

 

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Calectasia cyanea
Photo: Brian Walters

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