Calectasia obtusa

Calectasia obtusa is an undershrub with stilt roots 30–55 mm long but no rhizome. It grows to a height of about 50 cm with several short side branches. Each leaf blade is glabrous except at the margins, 4.5–8.5 x 0.5–0.9 mm, often pressed against the stem, the ends usually blunt and only rarely tapering to a short, sharp point. The base of the petals (strictly tepals) form a tube 7.7–8.8 mm long, while the outer part of the petals are wine red with blue margins fading to pale blue with age and spreading outwards to form a papery, star-like pattern. In the centre of the star are six yellow stamens forming a tube which does not change colour with age. The thin style extends beyond the stamens. It is similar to the other species of Calectasia and is distinguished from them mainly by the combination of the absence of a rhizome and the glabrousness and lack of a sharp point on the ends of the leaf blades. Flowers mostly appear from July to August.

This species of tinsel lily is found in scattered populations, sometimes of only a few plants, between Kojonup and Hopetoun in the South West Botanical Province. It grows in grey clay loam in open woodland or in near-coastal areas, in low heath over laterite.