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Xanthorrhoeaceae

Xanthorrhoea australis .
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Genera

Xanthorrhoea

Xanthorrhoeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Xanthorrhoeaceae are monocots, part of order Asparagales, and the family contains a single genus, Xanthorrhoea.

There are 15 species, all perennials with an underground stem. Some have a rough-surfaced palm-like stem above the ground, others do not. The best known and most widely distributed species is the large Xanthorrhoea australis, which was traditionally named the Black Boy. In recent years, the symbolism of the common name — both phallic and racial — has become a little too obvious for many people, and Xanthorrhoea australis is often now listed as the Austral Grass Tree. It grows very slowly, only millimetres per year, and flowers spectacularly, particularly after bushfires.

Plants

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