content-left-bg.png
content-right-bg.png

Grass Tree

WebPartZone1_1
PublishingPageContent

Xanthorrhoea johnsonii

Plant Number: 8

Common Name: Grass Tree, Balga Grass Plants

Scientific NameXanthorrhoea johnsonii 

Derivation of name

Xanthorrhoea - from the Greek 'xanthos' meaning yellow and 'rheo' meaning to flow; which is a reference to the resin that flows from the stem

Johnsonii - after Lawrence A.S. Johnson, 20th century botanist and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney from 1972 to 1985.

Description

  • Slow growing plant to 3 metres
  • Protected under Queensland law which prohibits people from digging up wild plants.
  • Grass-like cluster of needle-shaped leaves up to 1 metre
  • Trunk (caudex) usually blackened as a result of fire
  • Vertical flower spike to 2 metres, pale white-yellow flowers

Human uses

Indigenous Australians heated the resin from the lower trunk, with beeswax, charcoal or fine sand, to make a glue which was used to fix spear tips to shafts, axe heads to hands etc.  The soft wood from the flower spike was also used to make fire.  Nectar from the flower was soaked in water to produce a sweetened drink, while the soft white base of new leaves were chewed for nourishment.  Seeds were also crushed to make a type of flour.

Acknowledgment: Mangroves to Mountains, Australian Botanic Garden, Bush Heritage





WebPartZone1_2
WebPartZone2_1
WebPartZone2_2
WebPartZone2_3
WebPartZone3_1
WebPartZone3_2
WebPartZone3_3
WebPartZone3_4
WebPartZone4_1
WebPartZone5_1
WebPartZone5_2
WebPartZone6_1
WebPartZone6_2
WebPartZone7_1
WebPartZone7_2
WebPartZone8_1
WebPartZone8_2
WebPartZone9_1
Last reviewed 25 May 2020
Last updated 25 May 2020