Xyris natalensis L.A.Nilsson

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Xyridaceae > Xyris

Characteristics

Tufted perennials up to 0.85 m tall. Rhizome subhorizontal, hard, compact, covered by persistent, shiny, brown leaf-bases and cataphylls; roots thick, hard. Leaves clustered, terete, up to 500 mm long, c. 1 mm thick, wiry, apex acute, widened abruptly below to form an open, auriculate sheath. Spikes on exserted, terete, wiry peduncles enclosed basally by an open, cylindrical sheath; heads often cone-like, ovoid to oblong-ovoid, c. 10-28 mm long, mid-brown, shiny; lowest sterile bracts very narrowly ovate, smooth, frequently aristate, fertile ones with a minutely punctate median area, margin entire or mildly erose. Lateral sepals folded, falcate, apiculate; keel prominent, densely ciliate especially in upper half. Capsule narrowly cylindrical, 3 mm long, thin-walled. Seeds typical. Flowering in summer.
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Tufted, perennial herb, hydrophyte/helophyte, 0.1-1.0 m high; rhizome subhorizontal, compact. Leaves clustered, terete, up to 500 x 1 mm, wiry, with acute apices, forming auriculate sheath below. Bracts narrowly ovate, smooth, aristate, with entire margins; outer longer, patent and paler than inner. Inflorescence conical. Sepals 3, laterally folded, falcate, apiculate, keel prominent, densely ciliate. Petals 3, yellow. Flowering time Oct.-Dec. Fruit a narrowly cylindrical capsule.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.48 - 0.93
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Xyris natalensis world distribution map, present in Mozambique and South Africa

Conservation status

Xyris natalensis threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:871584-1
WFO ID wfo-0000612532
COL ID 5CPPC
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Xyris natalensis