Xyris elliottii

Chapman

Fl. South. U.S. 500. 1860.

Illustrated
Synonyms: Xyris elliottii var. stenotera Malme
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 22.

Herbs, perennial, densely cespitose, 40–60 (–70) cm. Stems compact. Leaves in narrow fans to erect, 10–30 (–40) cm; sheath base tan to brown, firm; blade mostly green or tinged with maroon, narrowly linear, flattened, plane or slightly twisted, 1–2 (–2.5) mm wide, smooth, margins pale, narrow, incrassate, smooth or papillate. Inflorescences: scape sheaths exceeded by leaves; scapes linear, nearly terete, 0.7–1 mm wide, apically 2-ribbed, ribs smooth or papillate; spikes mostly ovoid or ellipsoid, 6–15 mm, apex acute; fertile bracts 5–6 mm, margins pale, strongly scarious, lacerate, often squarrose, submarginally often reddish, apex low-keeled. Flowers: lateral sepals included or slightly exsert, slightly curved, (5.5–) 6–7 mm, keel concolorous, firm, finely lacerate or apically lacero-fimbriate, not papillate or ciliate; petals unfolding in morning, blade obovate, 5 mm; staminodes bearded. Seeds translucent, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, prominently longitudinally lined. 2n = 189.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer (all year south).
Habitat: Acid sandy flatwoods, sandy shores, swales in pinelands, bog edges, coastal plain

Distribution

V22 13-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Fla., Ga., S.C., West Indies, Central America

Discussion

Xyris elliottii with its densely cespitose habit, its glossy brown or red-brown, chaffy leaf sheath bases, and narrow leaves is a part of a complex including Xyris baldwiniana and X. isoetifolia. Usually it is readily distinguished by its taller habit, thicker scapes, and larger spikes, but particularly by its strongly contrasting pale, incrassate leaf blade borders. In peninsular Florida, however, this leaf border is not consistently present, particularly in the narrower-bladed populations (in these, leaf blades may be less than 1 mm wide). Such plants can be distinguished from X. baldwiniana by the staminodial brush, absent in X. baldwiniana, and from X. isoetifolia by the different spike shape, the ragged (rather than entire) bracts, and by a different seed sculpture. Hybrids between X. elliottii and X. brevifolia occur in southern Florida.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

... more about "Xyris elliottii"
low-keeled +  and acute +
Robert Kral +
Chapman +
open +  and sheathing +
tinged with maroon +  and green +
ephemeral +
obovate +, plane +  and flattened +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, S.C. +, West Indies +  and Central America +
basal-lateral +
proteinaceous +  and starchy +
loculicidal +
Acid sandy flatwoods, sandy shores, swales in pinelands, bog edges, coastal plain +
moniliform +
margined +  and winged +
concolorous +
not papillate +
lacero-fimbriate +  and lacerate +
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
exsert +  and included +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
equitant +, 2-ranked +  and alternate +
reddish +  and pale +
papillate +  and smooth +
lacerate +
incrassate +
distinct +
unfolding +
Flowering late spring–summer (all year south). +
monosulcate +
Fl. South. U.S. +
papillate +  and smooth +
not bracteate +
bladed +  and open +
0.7mm;1mm +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
cross-lined +
ellipsoid +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +
connivent +  and opposite +
distinct +
unequal +
tan +  and brown +
Illustrated +
decussate +  and imbricate +
ellipsoid;ovoid +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
epipetalous +
branching +  and simple +
elongate +  and caudiciform +
funnel +  and u--shaped +
tubular +  and elongate +
Xyris elliottii var. stenotera +
Xyris elliottii +
species +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br />) +
herb +  and cespitose +