View source for Biology:Wahlenbergia stricta

{{short description|Species of plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Wahlenbergia Stricta Red Hill.jpg
|genus = Wahlenbergia
|species = stricta
|authority = ([[Biography:Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)|R.Br.]]) Sweet
}}

'''''Wahlenbergia stricta''''', the '''Australian bluebell''', '''tall bluebell''' or '''austral bluebell''', is an Australian wildflower from the [[Biology:Campanulaceae|Campanulaceae]] family.<ref name="bidgeebush">{{cite book |title='Bidgee bush : an identification guide to common native plant species of the south western slopes of New South Wales |last=Walker |first=Karen |author2=Burrows, Geoff |author3=McMahon, Lynne  |year=2001 |publisher=Greening Australia |location=Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory |isbn=1-875345-61-2 |page=98 }}</ref>  It is considered the most commonly encountered of the Wahlenbergias.<ref name="bidgeebush"/> It is found in all Australian states but not the Northern Territory. It is often seen growing by the side of the road, enjoying the extra runoff.

''Wahlenbergia stricta'' is a perennial herb flowering mainly in spring or summer with pale blue bell-like flowers.<ref name="bidgeebush"/> The leaves are long and linear, {{convert|5|-|70|mm}} long.<ref name="bidgeebush"/> The five-petalled flowers are erect on long, slender stems and about {{convert|6|-|20|mm}} in diameter.<ref name="bidgeebush"/> It forms thin, carrot shaped tubers.

== Cultivation ==
[[File:Wahlenbergia stricta on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.jpg|thumb|left|''Wahlenbergia stricta'' growing on a river bank]]
Australian bluebells are generally easily propagated by division or root cutting.  The seed is a very fine, black powder.  It germinates readily in a few weeks and is best directly sown into tubes or cells as the seed and plant are very small and hard to separate and prick out.

There are a number of common cultivars, including various shades of blue from a saturated blue similar to #00f through to white.  Various double forms are available.  To maintain a cultivar propagation must be by vegetive means (division or cuttings).

Once established W. stricta is very hardy - the pot can be dried out completely and the plant reduced to a tuber, yet it will reshoot when the rain comes.  It is hardy in a range of soils from sand to gravel, clay to humus.

== See also ==
* ''[[Biology:Wahlenbergia gloriosa|Wahlenbergia gloriosa]]'', although the ''gloriosa'' is the ACT flower, the ''stricta'' is more commonly seen and often misidentified as ''gloriosa''.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002/wahlenbergia-gloriosa.html Australian National Botanic Garden's page]
* [http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/w-str.html ASGAP page]
* [http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Wahlenbergia~stricta New South Wales PlantNet page]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q7959812}}

[[Category:Asterales of Australia]]
[[Category:Wahlenbergia|stricta]]
[[Category:Garden plants]]

{{Sourceattribution|Wahlenbergia stricta}}