Hawai'i Yelloweyed Grass

This species probably occurs in other provinces in S China.

Herbs perennial. Leaf sheath narrow, 3.5--7.5 cm; leaf blade linear, (5--)10--25(--40) cm × 1--3.5 mm, rigid, thick, striate when dry, margin thickened and with a stout vein, apex acute. Peduncle erect, 10--40(--60) cm × 1.2--2.5 mm, distinctly compressed, usually twisted leftward, margin with a stout, scabrous rib. Spikes oblong-ovoid to cylindric, 8--20 × 5--8 mm; bracts brownish, suborbicular to broadly obovate, 5--5.5 × 4--5 mm, sometimes with a prominent keel, abaxially subspinulose at center, apical part with a triangular, papillose patch, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals boat-shaped, 3.8--4.5 × 1--1.5 mm, keel lacerate-fimbriate in apical 1/2; median sepal hooded, 3--3.5 mm, veins 1 or 3. Petals yellow; limb obovate to obtriangular, 5--6 mm, apical margin lacerate; claw narrow. Stamens 3; filaments ca. 1 mm; anthers 1--1.5 mm, apex deeply incised; locules mucronulate at base, apex with 2 acute points. Staminodes 2-cleft, ca. 1.5 mm. Ovary obovoid. Style 3--5 mm; stigma funnelform, margin lacerate. Capsule ovoid, 3--3.5 mm. Seeds ovoid to ellipsoid, ca. 0.4 mm. Fl. Aug--Sep, fr. Sep--Oct.

Wastelands, fields, moist sandy soil in coastal areas. Fujian, Hainan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].

Xyris elongata Rudge; X. malaccensis Steudel; X. walkeri Kunth.

Xyris complanata, known as the feathered yellow-eye is a tufted herb in the Xyridaceae family. It is native to southern China, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sumatra), the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia). It is also naturalized in Hawaii where it is known as Hawai'i yelloweyed grass. In New South Wales it grows in moist areas, often near swamps or in heathland.

The specific epithet complanata refers to the flattened leaf stalk. This species first appeared in scientific literature in the year 1810.