Xyris malmeana
Content
Description
Slender, smooth, subbulbous, perennial, 40-60 cm high, stems short. Leaves erect, 10-40 cm, sheath short, abruptly dilated and brown, variously brown-ciliate (rarely glabrous), blade narrowly linear to filiform, flattened or angled, 1.5-3 mm wide, margins smooth or tuberculate. Scapes filiform, distally subterete, ca. 0.5 mm thick, with 3 or more low but sharp, smooth or papillose ribs; spikes broadly ellipsoid to ovoid or subglobose, 0.5-1 cm, red-brown or dull brown, bracts several, in a spiral, convex, thin-margined, the lowest 2 empty, much shorter than the flowering ones, these broadly elliptic to obovate, apically rounded to acute, sometimes carinate, 4-6 mm, dorsal area short, narrow, greenish. Lateral sepals free, slightly inequilateral, curved, ca. 5 mm, keel lacerate-ciliolate or distantly lacerate, rarely entire; petals obovate, ca. 4 mm; staminodes bearded; anthers 1 mm. Capsule 3.5-4 mm, placentation basal, valves eseptate; seeds broadly ellipsoid, ca. 0.5 mm, deep amber.