''Isophysis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

and

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

plants in the Iris family (

Iridaceae Iridaceae () is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the Iris (plant), irises. It has a nearly global distribution, with 69 accepted genera with a total of about 2500 species. It includes a number of economically importan ...

). A

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus formerly known as ''Hewardia'', it contains a single species, ''Isophysis tasmanica'' is a Palaeoendemic found only in the south-west of Tasmania. The genus name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

words ''iso'', meaning "equal", and ''physis'', meaning "bladder".

Habitat

''Isophysis tasmanica'' is a dominant species within alpine sedge land. It is also found in coniferous, alpine, bolster and deciduous heathlands. It occurs from sea level to 1300m. The vegetation that it resides in is open in structure. It grows on highly siliceous rocks. It is often found on gravel slopes or rock crevices.

Description

''Isophysis tasmanica'' is a tufted plant with smooth leaves that come from a woody underground rhizome. The leaves are 5–30 cm long and 3–5 mm wide. The leaves are linear and persist in fans. The scape is erect, terete and unbranched, the scrape can be 40 cm high. Up the scape there are one to three smaller leaves that wrap around the stem. Below the flower, a pair of spath-

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s (modified leaves) that enclose the solitary terminal flower are brown or purple. The flower is purple and can be almost black but they are sometimes yellow. The petals are equal and 2.5–6 cm long 3–9 mm wide. These petals come together in a tube. It has a superior ovary with three flattened stamens. This

superior ovary In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule(s) and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the ba ...

, distinguishes it from any other member of the Iridaceae. Plants in the Iridaceae family are usually distinguished by the "septal nectaries" this is tissue in an ovary that produces nectar, but these are not present within ''Isophyis tasmanica''. This suggests that ''Isophyis tasmanica'' does not use

nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

to attract pollinators. The former genus name ''Hewardia'' is used as a landmark name in Tasmania's southwest wilderness such as Hewardia Ridge on Mt. Picton located near Pineapple flats, named after the Pineapple Grass.

References

External links

Image of ''Isophysis tasmanica''

Image of ''Isophysis tasmanica''
from Australian Plant Image Index * Iridaceae genera Monotypic Asparagales genera Endemic flora of Tasmania Iridaceae Taxa named by Thomas Moore (botanist) {{Iridaceae-stub