826.000 Xyris L.

Lock, J.M. (2010) Xyridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 13(4) 1-33

Description of the genus

Annual or perennial herbs, often forming clumps; rhizomes, when present, short, horizontal or ascending. Leaves virtually all basal. Inflorescence a condensed bracteate spike at the end of elongated peduncles which are often variously grooved or ridged; lower bracts of the spike occasionally elongated or reflexed. Flowers borne singly in the axils of the fertile bracts, short-lived; calyx of 3 unequal segments, the adaxial hooded and enclosing the flower-bud, the laterals asymmetric and often keeled; corolla yellow (blue in at least one West African species). Fruit a loculicidal capsule.

Derivation of name: from Greek: xyron, meaning a razor, applied to an aromatic species of Iris with razor-like leaves.

Zimbabwe: 13 taxa.

Xyris schliebenii

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
angularis N.E. Br.E
asterotricha Lock[NrEnd][LR-nt]E
capensis Thunb.N,W,C,E,S
congensis BüttnerN,W,C,E
erubescens Rendle C,EImage
gerrardii N.E. Br.EImage
huillensis RendleC,E
obscura N.E. Br.EImage
rehmannii L.A. NilssonW,C,E,SImage
rhodolepis (Malme) LockC
rubella MalmeN,W,C,E,SDescription
schliebenii Poelln.W,C,E,SDescription, Image
straminea L.A. NilssonN,W,C,E

Other sources of information about Xyris:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Xyris
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Xyris
Flora of Malawi: Xyris
Flora of Mozambique: Xyris
Flora of Zambia: Xyris

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Xyris
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Xyris
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Xyris
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Xyris
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Xyris
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Xyris
JSTOR Plant Science: Xyris
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Xyris
Plants of the World Online: Xyris
Tropicos: Xyris
Wikipedia: Xyris

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Genus page: Xyris.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=311, retrieved 28 March 2024

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