Xyris decussata

Primary tabs

Xyris decussata

Description

Cespitose, thick-based perennial, 15-43 cm high, stem short, to 15 cm. Leaves stiff, closely imbricate in a fan, 10-20 cm, sheath entire, ca. as long as blades, entire, castaneous, ligule short, triangular, blade flattened, 3-5 mm wide, blunt, margins incrassate, dark brown, densely rusty-ciliate. Scapes distally flattened, 2-3 mm wide, 2-ribbed, ribs rusty-ciliate; spikes ovoid to depressed-globose, ca. 1 cm, dark brown, bracts firm, subdecussate, without dorsal area, empty bracts several, upspike gradually broadening and longer, flower bracts ovate to broadly oblong, ca. 6 mm, broadly to narrowly rounded at apex, subentire, ecarinate. Lateral sepals free, subequilateral, oblanceolate, ca. 6 mm, keel entire to ciliate or lacero-ciliate toward apex; petals elliptic, ca. 5 mm; staminodes bearded; anthers 1.5-1.7 mm. Capsules 4-5 mm, valves septate toward base, placentation basalcentral; seeds narrowly cylindric-oblanceoloid, 1.5-1.7 mm longincluding a pale, amber, conic apiculus.

Distribution

Bolivar present, Chimanta Massif present, Guyana present, Mt. Roraima present, Southern America: Venezuela (Venezuela present ‒ present)
Chimanta Massif, Bolivar, Venezuela E to Mt. Roraima on the border of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana