Sunday 11 September 2016

GYMEA LILIES

Doryanthes excelsa, in the Asparagaceae family, known as Gymea Lily, is a flowering plant indigenous to the coastal areas of New South Wales near Sydney.The plant has sword-like leaves more than a meter long. It flowers in spring and summer, sending up a flower spike up to 6 m high, which at its apex bears a large cluster of bright red flowers, each 10 cm across.The name "Gymea Lily" is derived from a local Eora dialect. Doryanthes means spear-flower in Greek, and excelsa is Latin for exceptional. The Sydney suburbs of Gymea and Gymea Bay are named after the lily.

The genus Doryanthes was first described in 1802 by the Portuguese priest, statesman, philosopher and botanist José Francisco Correia de Serra (1750–1823), a close friend of Sir Joseph Banks. Doryanthes excelsa has also inspired the naming of Doryanthes, the journal of history and heritage for Southern Sydney founded by Dharawal historian Les Bursill.


Honey-eaters love the nectar of these large, crimson flowers on stems 2–3 m tall. Aboriginal people in the Lake Macquarie district of NSW were observed in 1836 roasting the stems, having cut them when half a meter high and as thick as a person's arm. They also roasted the roots which they made into a sort of cake to be eaten cold.


This post is part of the Our Beautiful World meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.





6 comments:

  1. lovely photo's Nick, the last one is so appealing

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  2. This is a really exotic and interesting plant - never heard of. The last photo is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing at OBW.

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  3. Oh my goodness - what an unusual flower. You've done a great job of capturing the look and feel of the place - it feels like I'm standing right there. So glad to have found you through Our Beautiful World.

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  4. What a unique and interesting looking plant. I love the colour

    Thank you for linking up

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  5. Pretty lilies! Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!

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  6. Beautiful photos! Thanks so much for sharing at OBW!!

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