Mat-Rush
Lomandra longifolia
Other Names: Long-leaf Mat-Rush
Family: Lomandraceae or Xanthorrhoeaceae
Habitat: Very common in a wide range of habitats
Uses: Edible starch in the leaf bases, raw or cooked. Edible flowers. Leaves used for fibre (e.g. cordage).
Season: All year
About Mat-Rush
A large, tufted harb with tough strap-like leaves usually about 50cm long. The flowers were eaten by Aboriginies, with a taste like fresh green peas. The white leaf bases can be chewed to release starch. The strong, fibrous leaves were used to make net bags. This is a very common plant in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. It is native, and commonly found in the bush, and also widely used as a cultivated plant in both private and commercial gardens.
I made the drawings below as part of the Kamana Naturalist Training Program. It is not meant to be artistic or even particuluarly technically correct. The main purpose of drawing in the course is that it is a great aid to learning the identifying details of what you are drawing.
Photo: Kamana Naturalist Training Program.
Photo: Kamana Naturalist Training Program.
Photo: Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains NSW.
Photo: Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains NSW.
See Also
Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Return to Plant Foods
