Conostylis teretifolia

Conostylis teretifolia is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial, grass-like plant or herb that typically grows to 6–20 cm (2.4–7.9 in) high. The leaves are flat, 60–120 mm (2.4–4.7 in) long and 0.5–1.1 mm (0.020–0.043 in) wide and grooved with white hairs. The flowers are arranged in heads of a few flowers on a flowering stalk 35–110 mm (1.4–4.3 in) long, sometimes with leaf-like bracts 3–16 mm (0.12–0.63 in) long at the base. The perianth is 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) long with yellow or reddish hairs, and lobes 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long. The anthers are 1.3–3.2 mm (0.051–0.126 in) long and the style 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long. Flowering occurs in August and September.^[2][3][4]

Conostylis teretifolia was first formally described in 1961 by John Green in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales from a specimen collected by William Blackall near Cockleshell Gully in 1938.^[3][5] The specific epithet (teretifolia) means "terete-leaved".^[6]

In 1987, Stephen Hopper described two subspecies of C. teretifolia in the Flora of Australia and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Conostylis teretifolia subsp. planescens Hopper^[7] has almost cylindrical to flat leaves, 80–140 mm (3.1–5.5 in) long and 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) wide.^[8]
• Conostylis teretifolia J.W.Green subsp. teretifolia^[9] has terete leaves, 50–130 mm (2.0–5.1 in) long and 0.5–1.1 mm (0.020–0.043 in) wide.^[10]