Comprehensive Description
provided by North American Flora
Xyris difformis Chapm. Fl. S. U. S. 500. 1860
Tufted; leaves linear-lanceolate, usually 20-35 cm. long and 4—10 mm. broad, broadest at the middle, somewhat obtuse at the apex, smooth; sheath occupying about one third the length of the leaf, straw-colored or pale-taw-ny, shining, somewhat dilated at the base; peduncles 30-55 cm. tall, 1.5-2 mm. broad, somewhat compressed above, bicostate or nearly bialate, smooth, the peduncular sheath 15-20 cm. long, pale-tawny, shining below; spike many-flowered, ovoid or ellipsoid, usually 12-16 mm. long, 7-9 mm. thick, the outer barren bracts ovate or elliptic, 3-4 mm. long, rounded at the apex, the flowering bracts broadly obovate, 6-7 mm. long, about 5 mm. broad, entire, tawny or pale-rusty, somewhat shining, with a grayish-green ovate or elliptic dorsal area about 2.5 mm. long; lateral sepals lanceolate, about 5 mm. long, 0.8-1 mm. broad, somewhat obtuse at the apex; keel narrow r and entire below, broader and lacerate or lacerate-fimbriate in the upper half; seeds ellipsoid, about 0.4 mm. long.
Type locality: Swamps near the coast, western Florida.
Distribution: South Carolina to Florida and Alabama. Perhaps only a variety of X. caroliniana .
- bibliographic citation
- Albert Charles Smith, Harold Norman Moldenke, Edward Johnston Alexander. 1937. XYRIDALES. North American flora. vol 19(1). New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY