Xyris jupicai
Xyris smalliana
Richard's yelloweyed grass
Small's yellow-eyed-grass
compact.
compact.
erect or ascending in narrow fans, 5–60 cm;
sheaths straw-colored, light green, or brown, smooth;
blade green, linear, flattened, 2–5(–15) mm wide, smooth, margins smooth or papillate.
ascending in narrow fans, (19–)30–50(–60) cm;
sheaths pinkish or pale red, soft, smooth;
blade pale green proximally, distally deep lustrous green, linear, flattened, plane, 5–15 mm wide, margins smooth.
scape sheaths exceeded by principal leaves;
scapes linear, terete, distally oval, (0.5–)1–1.5(–2) mm wide, smooth, 1–2-ribbed, ribs papillate;
spikes ovoid to ellipsoid or cylindro-lanceoloid, 7–15(–25) mm, apex acute;
fertile bracts 5–7 mm, margins entire, apex rounded.
scape sheaths exceeded by leaves;
scapes linear, straight, distally slightly compressed, 1–2 mm wide, smooth, 2-ribbed;
spikes ovoid to ellipsoid or cylindric, 10–20(–25) mm, apex usually blunt;
fertile bracts 5–8 mm, margins entire, apex rounded.
lateral sepals included, slightly curved, 5–7 mm, keel scarious, lacerate, thin;
petals unfolding in morning, blade obtriangular, 3 mm;
staminodes bearded.
lateral sepals slightly to conspicuously exserted, slightly curved, 6–8 mm, keel scarious, apex not red, broad, thin, lacerate;
petals unfolding in afternoon, blade obovate, 5–6 mm;
staminodes bearded.
translucent, ellipsoid, 0.4–0.5 mm, faintly ribbed.
translucent, narrowly ellipsoid to ovoid, (0.6–)0.7(–0.8 mm), irregularly ridged and cross-ridged.
= 18.
= 18.
Xyris jupicai
Xyris smalliana
The widest-ranging of all New World Xyrids and the most ample ecologically, Xyris jupicai is a frequent invader of disturbed or fallow open wetlands within its extensive range. In the southeastern United States it frequently shares habitat with two other species of its complex, namely X. difformis var. difformis and X. laxifolia. It differs from both in its lack of red pigmentation, from X. difformis by its more erect leaves and narrower, less prominently ribbed scapes, and from X. laxifolia by its narrower leaves and scapes, shorter, narrower, paler spikes, and translucent (rather than mealy), shorter seeds. Nonetheless, some difficult "calls" arise since all three flower at the same time and occasional chance hybrids do form.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Although no specimens were seen for Virginia, Xyris smalliana is to be expected there.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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