Xanthorrhoea australis
Austral Grass-Tree
General Appearance: A robust, densely tufted, tree-like herb, with a trunk to 2 m x 50 cm, with long, narrow leaves and erect, narrow flower stems, to 3 m tall, bearing a dense, narrow spike of cream flowers. Younger plants often without trunks.
Leaves: Linear, to 1.2 m x 5 mm, diamond-shaped in cross-section, stiff, brittle. Trunks made up of the persistent leaf bases of fallen leaves.
Flowers: Cream, roughly star-shaped, with linear sepals and petals. Thousands clustered together in a dense spike, to 2 m x 80 mm. (Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec)
Fruit: A small woody capsule.
Aboriginal Use: Important source of resin. Young leaves and succulent roots were eaten. Nectar was made into sweet drinks. Flowering stems were made into spears and firesticks.
Other Common Names: Bukkup (Koorie name), Kangaroo Tails, Kawee (Koorie name)
From: Viridans
They flower prolifically after
fire due to a fire-initiated release of the gas acetylene which
initiates the growth of the flower spike and the early release of seed.
From Parks & Wildlife Services Tasmania
And here I found:
Xanthorrhoea minor
Small Grass-Tree
General Appearance: A robust, densely tufted herb, with long, narrow leaves and erect, narrow flower stems to 1 m tall, bearing a dense, narrow spike of yellow flowers.
Leaves: Linear, to 1 m x 4 mm, triangular in cross-section, stiff, brittle. Arising from a thick base which never forms short trunk.
Flowers: Pale yellow, roughly star-shaped, with linear sepals and petals. Thousands clustered together in a dense spike, to 30 cm x 25 mm. (Jan Feb Mar Apr Oct Nov Dec)
Fruit: A small woody capsule.
Other Common Names: Bayonet Grass, Snake Charmers, Toolimerin (Koorie name)
