About Thysanotus chinensis Benth.
Thysanotus chinensis Benth. is a tufted perennial herb with a small rootstock and fibrous roots. It produces between 3 and 20 linear, flat to channelled leaves that appear to grow annually. The leaves measure 50 to 400 mm (2.0–15.7 in) long and up to 1 mm (0.039 in) wide. Flowers are arranged in umbels holding 3 to 15 blooms, borne on a spreading to low-lying scape that is 70–470 mm (2.8–18.5 in) long. Each individual flower sits on a pedicel 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) long. The flowers are purple, with perianth segments 5.5–10 mm (0.22–0.39 in) long. The sepals are linear to narrowly lance-shaped, around 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. The petals are egg-shaped to elliptic, around 6 mm (0.24 in) wide, with a fringe approximately 2 mm (0.079 in) long. There are six stamens, with anthers of two different lengths, and the style measures 2.8–4 mm (0.11–0.16 in) long. This species grows in open grassy locations including forest, grassland, the edges of depressions, and alongside rivers, across a range of soil types. In Australia, it is found in tropical northern regions of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. It also occurs in New Guinea, southern China, Hong Kong, northern Vietnam, southern Thailand, the northern Malay Peninsula, Luzon in the Philippines, and the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Flores, and Aru.
