Xyris albescens
Content
Description
Cespitose perennial, 40-100 cm high, stems short. Leaves spreading-ascending in a narrow fan, elongate-linear, 20-60 cm, sheath at least 1/2 as long as blade, castaneous to red-brown, lustrous, entire, blade flattened, (3-)5-6 mm wide, margin densely white-ciliate. Scape distally somewhat flattened, (2-)2.5-3 mm wide, margins white-ciliate; spikes broadly ovoid, globose or hemispheric, (1-)1.5 cm, blunt, lustrous brown, many-flowered, empty bracts many, flower bracts larger, narrowly ovate to oblong, 6-9 mm, rounded, entire, often cucullate, convex, dorsal area mostly absent. Lateral sepals equilateral, narrow, 6-7 mm, acute, keel scabro-ciliate to villosulous; petals narrowly obovate, 6-7 mm; staminodes bearded, anthers ca. 2.5 mm. Capsule ca. 5 mm, valves septate at base, placentation axile; seeds fusiform-cylindric, 2-3 mm, including terminal scale of 0.5-0.7 mm.