Xyris montana
Xyris brevifolia
northern yellow-eyed-grass, xyris de montagne, xyris des montagnes
shortleaf yelloweyed grass
compact.
compact.
in narrow fans, 4–15 cm;
sheaths reddish, soft, papillate;
blade deep green, narrowly linear, 0.8–2(–3) mm wide, smooth, margins smooth to papillate.
in fans, 2–10(–15) cm;
sheath base greenish to pink;
blade green or red-tinged, filiform to linear, 1–4 mm wide, smooth, margins smooth to papillate.
scape sheaths exceeded by leaves;
scapes linear, wiry, terete, (0.25–)0.5–0.8(–1) mm wide, distally with 2–4 ribs, ribs papillate;
spikes broadly to narrowly ellipsoid or ovoid, 4–8 mm;
fertile bracts 3–4(–4.5) mm, margins erose or minutely fimbriolate, sometimes with narrow reddish border, apex very slightly to slightly keeled.
scape sheaths mostly exceeding leaves, blade prominent (in filiform-leaved extremes, overtopped by leaves);
scapes wiry, nearly terete, 0.5–1 mm wide, low-ribbed apically;
spikes oblate to globose or ovoid, mostly as broad as long, 5–7(–10) mm, apex blunt;
fertile bracts 3–6 mm, margins often squarrose, lacerate, scarious, with red inner band, apex broadly rounded.
lateral sepals slightly exserted, straight, 4.2–4.7 mm, keel scarious, entire or apically lacerate, apex red, narrow, firm;
petals unfolding in morning, blade obovate, 3–4 mm;
staminodes bearded.
lateral sepals included, slightly curved, 3–5 mm, keel firm, nearly entire to papillate or ciliolate, apex reddish;
petals unfolding in morning, blade obovate, 2.5–3 mm;
staminodes bearded.
translucent, narrowly ellipsoid, (0.6–)0.7–0.9(–1) mm, finely lined.
amber, broadly ellipsoid, 0.5 mm, finely lined.
= 18.
Xyris montana
Xyris brevifolia
Most or all known populations of this species fall within the boundaries of Wisconsin glaciation. The long stems (a trait not known for other North American species) are a response to the burial of the clump bases in deep sphagnum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Plants in south Florida and Cuba often have longer and narrower leaf blades than is typical, and G. O. K. Malme (1925) named Cuban material Xyris intermedia on the basis of longer, narrower leaf blades and entire sepal keels. In Florida, however, all of these characters intergrade. The red sepal tips, almost a homology with the bract dorsal area, are a constant (yet neglected) character. This species is often weedy.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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