Doryanthes excelsa

Gymea lily
Gymea lily in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Doryanthaceae
Genus: Doryanthes
Species:
D. excelsa
Binomial name
Doryanthes excelsa
Synonyms[1]
  • Doryanthes excelsa Correa var. excelsa
  • Furcraea australis Haw.

Doryanthes excelsa, commonly known as the gymea lily, is a flowering plant in the family Doryanthaceae that is endemic to coastal areas of New South Wales near Sydney. It has sword-like leaves more than 1 metre (3 ft) long and it grows a flower spike up to 6 metres (20 ft) high. The apex of the spike bears a large cluster of bright red flowers, each 10 centimetres (4 in) across. Its common name is derived from kai'mia (anglicised as Gymea) in the indigenous Dharawal language.[2] The Sydney suburbs of Gymea and Gymea Bay are named after the lily.

  1. ^ a b "Doryanthes excelsa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  2. ^ Bodkin, Frances; Bodkin-Andrews, Gawaian. "Kai'Mia: The Story of the Gymea Lily" (PDF). D’harawal Dreaming Stories. Retrieved 17 July 2024.