Xyris difformis var. difformis

Common names: Xyris difforme
Endemic
Synonyms: Xyris elata
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 22.

Herbs, 20–70 (–90) cm. Leaves in broad to narrow fans,10–30 (–50); sheath blade deep green, linear–sword-shaped, 0.2–1.5 cm wide, smooth, margins papillate. Inflorescences: scape sheaths basally pinkish; scapes widened distally, smooth or very finely papillate, 2–several-ribbed, 2 ribs wider, making wings, other ribs low or absent, all ribs smooth or papillate; spikes (in s part of range) mostly 10 mm or more. Seeds translucent. n = 9.


Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Sands and peats or gravels of edges of acidic swamps, pond shores, bogs, poor fens, seeps, open sphagnous areas
Elevation: 0–500 m

Distribution

V22 320-distribution-map.jpg

N.S., Ont., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ind., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., Wis.

Discussion

The tallest, broadest-leaved, broadest-scaped, and largest-spiked plants are mostly in the southern Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. Those of the Appalachians and from Delaware north become progressively lower and smaller in dimension. In the maritime provinces, in New England, and along the Great Lakes, the plants become more similar to the often associated Xyris montana Ries, and some morphological intermediates appear. Xyris montana, however, has generally smaller spikes with darker bracts and with less distinct dorsal areas; leaves generally of narrower outline, with papillate sheaths; and lateral sepals that sometimes have slightly exserted tips, usually with firmer keels, and especially with thicker and redder apices. Seeds of X. montana are distinctly longer and narrower in outline.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"wide" is not a number."thin" is not a number.

rounded +  and acute +
Robert Kral +
Chapman +
not bulbous +
ephemeral +
papillate +
obtriangular +, linear +  and linear-sword-shaped +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Xyris difforme +
N.S. +, Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +  and Wis. +
0–500 m +
basal-lateral +
proteinaceous +  and starchy +
broad +  and narrow +
loculicidal +
Sands and peats or gravels of edges of acidic swamps, pond shores, bogs, poor fens, seeps, open sphagnous areas +
moniliform +
margined +  and winged +
lacerate +
scarious +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
equitant +, 2-ranked +  and alternate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
papillate +
distinct +
unfolding +
Flowering summer–fall. +
monosulcate +
Fl. South. U.S. +
papillate +  and smooth +
ancipital-2-edged-winged +
papillate +
terete +, linear +  and filiform +
bladed +  and open +
widened +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
cross-lined +
ovoid +  and ellipsoid +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
connivent +  and opposite +
distinct +
unequal +
linear-sword--shaped +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
decussate +  and imbricate +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +
epipetalous +
branching +  and simple +
elongate +  and caudiciform +
funnel +  and u--shaped +
tubular +  and elongate +
Xyris elata +
Xyris difformis var. difformis +
Xyris difformis +
variety +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> (90 cm900 mm <br />0.9 m <br />) +