Xyris jupicai
Xyris torta
Richard's yelloweyed grass
common yelloweyed grass, slender 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 to erect, 20–50 cm;
sheath base often reddened or pink;
blade green, elongate-linear, twisted, 2–5 mm wide, smooth to papillate, with strongly raised veins, margins smooth or papillate.
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, flexuous, 1–1.5(–2) mm wide, distally 5–6-ribbed, ribs smooth or papillate;
spikes globose to ovoid, ellipsoid, lanceoloid, or cylindric, 8–25 mm, apex acute or blunt;
fertile bracts 5–7 mm, margins entire except for red fimbriololation at rounded apex.
lateral sepals included, slightly curved, 5–7 mm, keel scarious, lacerate, thin;
petals unfolding in morning, blade obtriangular, 3 mm;
staminodes bearded.
lateral sepals included, strongly curved, 4.5–5.5 mm;
keel firm, ciliate except for red-fimbriloolate tip;
petals unfolding in morning, blade obovate, 4 mm;
staminodes bearded.
translucent, ellipsoid, 0.4–0.5 mm, faintly ribbed.
translucent, ellipsoid, 0.5 mm, strongly ridged longitudinally with finer cross-lines.
= 18.
= 18.
Xyris jupicai
Xyris torta
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 I have seen no records from Maine, Xyris torta is to be expected there.
Xyris torta is the widest-ranging of all North American xyrids and the most expressive ecologically; thus it is not surprising that it varies so much morphologically. It is much ofthen confused in older nomenclature literature with X. caroliniana. Xyris torta is the type species for the genus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
Go Botany
IL Wildflowers
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
MO Plants
