# Dianella

**Family:** Asphodelaceae

_**Dianella**_ is a [monocot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocot) [genus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genus) of [flowering plants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant). They are [commonly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_name) called **flax lilies**.

In the [APG II system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APG_II_system) of [plant classification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_plant_systematics), _Dianella_ was placed in the [family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_(biology)) [Hemerocallidaceae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemerocallidaceae). When that system was replaced by [APG III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APG_III_system) in 2009, Hemerocallidaceae was combined with two other families, called [Asphodelaceae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphodelaceae) in the [APG IV system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APG_IV_system).

_Dianella_ [ranges](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_(biology)) from [Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan) to [India](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India), thence south to [Australia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia) and [New Zealand](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand); it also occurs on many [Pacific Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Islands). About half of the species are [native](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_(ecology)) to Australia.