grass tree

grass treeGrass tree (Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata).

grass tree, (genus Xanthorrhoea), genus of about 30 species of slow-growing perennial plants (family Asphodelaceae) endemic to Australia. Certain species are also known as grass gums because of the red or yellow gumlike resins that exude from the base of old leaves. The resins are used for varnish.

grass tree
grass treeFlowering grass trees (Xanthorrhoea), common vegetation of the Big Desert, Victoria, Australia.

Most grass trees have thick, woody, often palmlike stems that can reach about 5 metres (16 feet) tall, though some species are low-growing. The stems may be unbranched or branching and end in a tuft of rigid grasslike leaves. The dense flower spikes extend 3 metres (9.8 feet) or more from the leaves and somewhat resemble those of the bulrush. The plants are adapted to wildfire, often having a thick layer of dead leaves to protect the stem from flames and heat. Many species can be stimulated to flower after exposure to fire.

In western Australia an unrelated monotypic species, Kingia australis, is sometimes known as grass tree.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
Citation Information
Article Title: grass tree
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 31 May 2018
URL: https://www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/plant/grass-tree
Access Date: November 24, 2024