Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperm
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asteliaceae
Genus: Astelia
Species: Astelia grandis
Common name: Swamp Astelia
Astelia grandis is a robust Astelia with very broad olive green flax-like leaves, more erect and less tapered than Astelia fragrans, forming a large clump up to 2 metres high. The stiffly arched leaves are green with a strong white vein on either side of the midrib.
Astelias are dioecious plants (having separate male and female plants).
Astelia grandis has bright orange berries on female plants.
Astelia grandis is found naturally in wet swampy ground throughout the North Island to South Westland in the South Island. It prefers swamps up to 50cm deep but grows in drier places such as the forks of trees.
Astelia grandis with green fruit before turning orange (Photographed late January Mt Taranaki)
Close up of the green fruit
Fruit changing from green to orange
The upper surface of leaf with to white strips on each side of the main vein
Underside of leaf
Photos below is an Asanelia grandis growing as an epiphyte.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
