Astelia alpina

Pineapple grass has green leaves with silvery, hairy undersides, appearing similar to the vegetative leaves of a pineapple plant. The leaves are up to 30 cm long, 2–3 cm wide, tapering to a point at the end. Leaves are stiff and have recurved margins. == Taxonomy ==

The word Astelia comes from Greek, where "a" means without and "stele" means trunk, referring to the very small stem and style. Alpinus comes from Latin, in reference to its preferred habitat. It is normally known as pineapple grass because its vegetative growth looks like pineapple leaves, but has also been called silver astelia, perching lily, and very rarely, artichoke. Despite its common name, pineapple grass is not a grass, and is more closely related to the lilies. == Reproduction ==

Flowers appear on pineapple grass in summer on structures called racemes. Humans can facilitate asexual reproduction by breaking apart mature clumps and planting them separately. Males produce more flowers and inflorescences than females. == Distribution and habitat ==

Pineapple grass is commonly found in the subalpine and alpine areas of Tasmania and the Australian Alps. == Ecology ==

Astelia alpina is often a pioneer species following fires in alpine areas. Alpine herbland and sedgeland is typically dominated by Astelia alpina 10–20 years after a fire, a community that generally replaces deciduous and coniferous heath. Western alpine sedgeland in Tasmania is less dependent on fire to exist than sedgelands in eastern Tasmania. It has a variable form and dominance depending on location and habitat (Table 1). Table 1: Description of vegetative coverage by Pineapple Grass, Astelia alpina, in different locations. Different locations display different form and dominance patterns. == Conservation ==

This species is not considered to be at risk in the wild. == Uses and cultivation ==

Pineapple grass is not widely cultivated, but the berries are edible. It prefers high altitude conditions with wet soil and plenty of light. If it is being grown at low altitudes, it is more suited to colder climates. == References ==