Astelia

For similar sounding terms, see Astellas, Astellia, Astell, Astelma, and Astala.

Astelia is a genus of flowering plants in the recently named family Asteliaceae. They are rhizomatous tufted perennials native to various islands in the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans, as well as to Australia and to the southernmost tip of South America. A significant number of the known species are endemic to New Zealand.^[2][3] The species generally grow in forests, swamps and amongst low alpine vegetation; occasionally they are epiphytic.^[4]

Astelia
Astelia hemichrysa in Réunion
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asteliaceae
Genus:	Astelia Banks & Sol. ex R.Br.
Synonyms[1]
Collospermum Skottsb. Funckia Willd. Hamelinia A.Rich.

Species

Astelia spp. growing on Agathis australis in Trounson Kauri Park, North Island, New Zealand

Astelia alpina

The genus is divided into a number of subgenera and these are further divided into sections. These contain the following species:^[5][6]

• subgenus Astelia
  • section Astelia
    • Astelia alpina R.Br. - Pineapple Grass, Silver Astelia, native to eastern Australia^[7]
      • Astelia alpina var. alpina
      • Astelia alpina var. novae-hollandiae Skottsb.
    • Astelia papuana Skottsb.- native to New Guinea^[8]
    • Astelia linearis Hook.f.- native to North and South Islands of New Zealand^[9]
      • Astelia linearis var. linearis
      • Astelia linearis var. novae-zelandiae Skottsb.
    • Astelia subulata (Hook.f.) Cheesem. - native to South Island + Antipodean Islands of New Zealand^[9]
  • section Palaeastelia Skottsb.
    • Astelia hemichrysa (Lam.) Kunth - native to Réunion + Mauritius
• subgenus Asteliopsis Skottsb.
  • section Desmoneuron Skottsb.
    • Astelia solandri A.Cunn. - native to North and South Islands of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia trinervia Kirk - native to North Island and north-west South Island of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia nadeaudii Drake - native to Tahiti + Raiatea in French Polynesia
    • Astelia raiateensis J.W.Moore - see Astelia nadeaudii
  • section Isoneuron Skottsb.
    • Astelia banksii A.Cunn. - Native to North Island of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia neocaledonica Schltr. - endemic to New Caledonia.^[10]
• subgenus Collospermum Skottsb.
  • • Astelia hastata Colenso - New Zealand - formerly Collospermum hastatum (Colenso) Skottsb.
    • Astelia microsperma Colenso - North Island of New Zealand - formerly Collospermum microspermum (Colenso) Skottsb.
    • Astelia montana Seem. - Fiji and Vanuatu - formerly Collospermum montanum (Seem.) Skottsb.
    • Astelia samoense (Skottsb.) Birch^[5] - Samoa - formerly Collospermum samoense Skottsb.
    • Astelia spicata Colenso, formerly Collospermum spicatum (Colenso) Skottsb., would fall into this subgenus but was rejected by Birch as a species.^[5]
• subgenus Tricella Skottsb.
  • section Tricella Skottsb.
    • Astelia australiana (J.H.Willis) L.B.Moore - Tall Astelia, native to the State of Victoria in Australia^[7]
    • Astelia chathamica (Skottsb.) L.B.Moore - Silver Spear, native to Chatham Islands of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia fragrans Col. - Bush Flax, Bush Lily, Kakaha, native to North and South Islands of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia graminea L.B.Moore- native to northern South Island of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia grandis Hook.f. ex Kirk- native to North and South Islands of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia nervosa Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f.- Mountain Astelia, native to North and South Islands of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia nivicola Ckn. ex Cheesem. - native to South Island of New Zealand^[9]
      • Astelia nivicola var. nivicola
      • Astelia nivicola var. moriceae L.B.Moore
    • Astelia petriei Ckn. - native to South Island of New Zealand^[9]
    • Astelia psychrocharis F.Muell. - Kosciusko Pineapple Grass, native to Mt. Kosciusko in Australia^[7]
    • Astelia skottsbergii L.B.Moore - native to north-west South Island of New Zealand^[9]
  • section Periastelia Skottsb.
    • Astelia argyrocoma A.Heller ex Skottsb. - native to Kauai Island in Hawaii
    • Astelia menziesiana Sm. in A.Rees - native to Hawaii
    • Astelia rapensis Skottsb. - native to Rapa-Iti Island in French Polynesia
    • Astelia tovii F.Br. - Marquesas in French Polynesia
    • Astelia waialealae Wawra - native to Kauai Island in Hawaii
  • section Micrastelia Skottsb.
    • Astelia pumila (J.R.Forst.) Gaudich. - native to western Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands

References

1. "Astelia". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
2. WCSP (2011), World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, archived from the original on March 5, 2012, retrieved 2011-05-24, search for "Astelia"
3. "Genus Astelia". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
4. Dawson John; Rob Lucas (2005). The nature of plants: habitats, challenges, and adaptations. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-675-2. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
5. Birch, Joanne L. (2015), "A revision of infrageneric classification in Astelia Banks & Sol. ex R.Br. (Asteliaceae)", PhytoKeys (52): 105–132, doi:10.3897/phytokeys.52.4768, PMC 4549886, PMID 26312037
6. Birch, Joanne L. (2015), "Corrigenda: A revision of infrageneric classification in Astelia Banks & Sol. ex R.Br. (Asteliaceae)", PhytoKeys (56): 127–128, doi:10.3897/phytokeys.56.6517, PMC 4612781, PMID 26494977
7. "Astelia". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
8. Conn, Barry J. "Census of Vascular Plants of Papua New Guinea". Plants of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea National Herbarium and the National Herbarium of New South Wales. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
9. "ASTELIA Banks et Sol. ex R. Br. , 1810". Retrieved 2009-05-04.
10. "Genre Astelia". Endémía - Faune & Flore de Nouvelle-Calédonie. Retrieved 2009-05-04.

• Data related to Astelia at Wikispecies