Plate of 3 photos showing the tall, erect inflorescence bearing a cluster of flowers at its tip. Flowers are large, showy and red.

Doryanthes excelsa is 1 of just 2 spp. in Doryanthes, the sole genus of #Doryanthaceae (#Asparagales). Both are from e. Australia. They are huge perennials with erect inflorescences held well above the foliage & bearing showy red flowers. 📷: Tatiana Gerus CCBYSA2 #OddMonocot #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of an ascending stem with distichous lanceolate leaves, the tips of which are drawn out into tendrils.

Flagellaria neocaledonica, which I photographed in New Caledonia, is 1 of just 5 species in Flagellaria, the sole genus of #Flagellariaceae (#Poales). It’s another #OddMonocot. Look at how the leaf tips are tendrils. Flowers are small & perfect but borne in large panicles. #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of a plant with several erect stems bearing distichous leaves that are lanceolate and plicate. Old, highly branched inflorescences are borne terminally.

There are 3 spp. of Joinvillea, the only genus of #Joinvilleaceae (#Poales). They occur from the Malay Peninsula to the Pacific islands. They are grass-like but with plicate leaves. This is Joinvillea plicata in New Caledonia. #OddMonocot #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of a climber with ovate leaves. A single pink, pendulous, bell-shaped flower is in bloom.

#Philesiaceae (#Liliales) comprise 2 monotypic genera from Chile & Argentina. The most well-known species is Lapageria rosea, which is a climber with showy flowers. I had the pleasure of seeing this in #Chile some years ago (photo is from cultivation). #OddMonocot #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of a couple of understory plants growing in wet leaf litter. They are grass-like but have umbellate clusters of small, greenish flowers each with 6 tepals.

#Campynemataceae are a family of just 2 genera & 4 spp. They are understory herbs from Tasmania & New Caledonia. They are not showy & could be easily overlooked without knowing they are an early-diverging family of Liliales. Campynemanthe neocaledonica. #Liliales #OddMonocot #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of a leafy shoot with a couple of inflorescences bearing pink flowers, which are 3-merous.

Petermannia cirrosa is the sole member of the #Petermanniaceae. It’s a climbing member of the Liliales from e. Australia. Tendrils are modified inflorescences. Definitely an #OddMonocot. Image by Lara Solyma CCBYNC4 via iNaturalist. #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of a grassy tufted plant growing in an open area. It has many white inflorescences emergent above the foliage. They bear clusters of cottony flowers.

Close-up photo showing a woolly flower cluster with two open, star-shaped flowers. Each flower has six pink tepals and erect stamens.

Lanariaceae are a monotypic family from the Cape Province of S. Africa. Lanaria plumosa is known for its woolly indumentum of branched hairs. #Asparagales #OddMonocot 1st 📷 by Felix Riegel. 2nd 📷 by Carina Lochner. Both images CCBYNC4 via iNaturalist. #CapeProvince #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of an emergent aquatic plant with grassy leaves and a spadix of miniscule flowers.

Just 2 spp in the genus Acorus (#Acoraceae & #Acorales), sister to all other monocots. It has iris-like foliage & spikes of perfect flowers subtended by a spathe. Brood-site #pollination by #flies in 1 sp. & #beetles in the other. : A. calamus, Giles Watson CCBYSA2 #OddMonocot #Botany 🌾🧪

Photo of the inflorescence of the orchid bearing 10 or so black flowers.

It’s #BlackFriday, so I give you Monnierara Millennium Magic 'Witchcraft' FCC/AOS from a couple of years ago. #Orchidaceae #Oddmonocot #orchid #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪🌱

Close-up photo of a single, purple Crocus flower with three long style branches that are bright orange.

Not exactly an #OddMonocot (it’s in the iris family, #Iridaceae), but the parts we use from Crocus sativus (#Saffron) are a bit odd, viz. the styles. I can’t think of any other plant in which only those specific parts are used by humans, can you? Happy #Plantsgiving! #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of an erect inflorescence emerging from an undergrowth of ferns. The inflorescence has a 90 degree bend and bears many red stamen brush-like flowers along the upper side of the bent arm.

#Xeronemataceae include a single genus of two species, one from New Zealand and this one, Xeronema moorei (Antoin Simon CCBYNC4 via iNaturalist), from New Caledonia. Perching bird pollination seems probable, but butterflies might also be involved. #OddMonocot #Asparagales #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Close-up photo of a staminate inflorescence against a black background. The inflorescence looks like a cone of overlapping scales with long, dangling stamens protruding out from between the scales.

Close-up photo of a pistillate inflorescence against a black background. The inflorescence looks like a cone of overlapping scales with fuzzy, two-armed stigmas protruding out from between the scales.

Ecdeiocolea monostachya is one of just three species of #Ecdeiocoleaceae of the Poales. All are Australian. Unlike Poaceae, this family lacks silica bodies in its tissues. Inflorescence reminds me of Xyris. Fantastic photos by Kevin Thiele CCBY4 via iNaturalist. #OddMonocot #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of a cluster of stems. They are thick and woody and bear rosettes of narrow, pointed leaves. They look like a Yucca.

Here’s the sister Thurnia of S. America: Meet Prionium, a monotypic genus from S. Africa. It has amazing woody stems. It’s like an analog of Yucca but with tiny, non-showy flowers. #Thurniaceae This is P. serratum by Chris Vynbos CCBYSA4 via iNaturalist. #OddMonocot #Poales #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of a dense, green globose inflorescence and green, grassy leaves.

#Thurniaceae (Poales) are a family of 2 genera & 4 spp. Thurnia is native to n. South America & Prionium is found in S. Africa. Crazy disjunction! This is Thurnia sphaerocephala by Olivier Fortune CCBYNC4 via iNaturalist (I'll post Prionium later). #TeamMonocot #OddMonocot #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Close-up photo of a hand holding a spike of green, sessile flowers. Each flower has fleshy green perianth parts and six spreading stigma lobes that are fuzzy.

#Maundiaceae are monotypic. Just one species: Maundia triglochinoides of e. Australia. The perianth is green & small, but the stigmas are fuzzy & prominent. Wind-pollinated? : Zac Holt CC0 via iNaturalist. #TeamMonocot #OddMonocot #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪

Photo of an umbel of pink, 3-merous flowers. The pond surface is visible in the background.

Up this week: #OddMonocot families. #Butomaceae has just one species: Butomus umbellatus, an emergent aquatic plant from temperate Eurasia. When receptive, the stigmas are orange & look like the anthers. Automimicry to lure pollinators? : Peter Hanegraaf CCBYNCND2 #Botany #PlantScience 🌾🧪