Xyris fimbriata Elliott. Common name: Fringed Yellow-eyed-grass. Phenology: Sep-Oct. Habitat: In mucky or sandy soils of upland depression ponds, also along sandhill streams, impoundments and in deep muck of sandhills seepage slopes often just below the zone occupied by Xyris chapmanii. Distribution: S. New Jersey south to sc. peninsular Florida, west to se Texas. Disjunct in c. Tennessee. Populations on the periphery (mid-Atlantic) and west of the Mississippi are also similarly isolated from the core range between s. Virginia and e. Louisiana (including southward to c. Florida).
ID notes: Generally easily recognized by its large stature, scabrous scapes, and "fuzzy" appearance of the lateral sepals (the species name alluding to the fimbriate margins). Where this species narrowly co-occurs with X. panacea in Wakulla County, FL, it can be distinguished by its shorter, wider spikes, lack of rhizomes and more exserted fimbriate sepals.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Synonymy ⓘ: = AqW, C, ETx1, F, FNA22, G, GW1, K1, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tn, Va, WH3, Bridges & Orzell (2003), Kral (1966a); = n/a — Pa, Tat. Basionym: Xyris fimbriata Elliott 1816
Links to other floras: = Xyris fimbriata - FNA22
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Tall, scapose perennial from clump of narrow leaves, found in mucky-sandy soils of upland depression ponds, also along sandhill streams, impoundments and in deep muck of sandhills seepage slopes.
Stems: Stem twisted and multi-ribbed below, flattened and 2-ribbed above.
Leaves: Leaves linear to strap-like, not twisted, thick, tan-colored, bases reddish.
Inforescence: Flowers in short, oval, cone-like spike at stem tip, each bud concealed inside single light-brown (with green center), scale-like bract.
Flowers: 1 to several yellow, 3-petaled flowers open at a time, in morning; prominently protruding sepas have fringed keels, making spike appear fuzzy.
Fruits:
Comments:
Height: 1.5-4 ft.
plant sale text: Giant yellow-eyed grass is not a grass at all, but it has skinny flat leaves like a grass and cool twisted stems. The 3-petaled yellow flowers are interesting and unusual, as they are arranged at the top of a cylindrical spike on a tall stem. Native to wet flatwoods, depression ponds, and sandhill seepage slopes of the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States, giant yellow-eyed grass is a good choice for bog gardens or other sunny soggy areas of the garden.
bloom table text:
description: Tall, scapose perennial from clump of narrow leaves, found in mucky-sandy soils of upland depression ponds, also along sandhill streams, impoundments and in deep muck of sandhills seepage slopes.
stems: Stem twisted and multi-ribbed below, flattened and 2-ribbed above.
leaves: Leaves linear to strap-like, not twisted, thick, tan-colored, bases reddish.
inflorescence: Flowers in short, oval, cone-like spike at stem tip, each bud concealed inside single light-brown (with green center), scale-like bract.
flowers: 1 to several yellow, 3-petaled flowers open at a time, in morning; prominently protruding sepas have fringed keels, making spike appear fuzzy.
fruits:
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code: 1,4
native range: