Quillwort Yellow Eyed Grass

Xyris isoetifolia, locally abundant only in northwest Florida, is most often mistaken for X. baldwiniana but is distinguishable by its bearded staminodes and more distinctly ribbed, shorter seeds.

Herbs, perennial, densely cespitose, (15--)20--30(--40) cm, base not abruptly bulbous. Stems compact. Leaves erect or ascending, 4--15 cm; sheaths glossy brown or red-brown, chaffy; blade green, filiform or narrowly linear, twisted, to 1 mm wide, smooth. Inflorescences: scape sheaths exceeded by leaves; scapes linear, nearly terete, 0.5(--0.7) mm wide, smooth, not ribbed; spikes ellipsoid to obovoid, 5--7(--10) mm; fertile bracts ca. 4.5 mm, margins nearly entire, apex rounded. Flowers: lateral sepals included, reddish brown, linear-curvate, 4 mm, keel firm, ciliate; petals unfolding in morning, blade obovate, 4 mm; staminodes bearded. Seeds translucent, ellipsoid, 0.5 mm, distinctly longitudinally ribbed, with fainter transverse lines. 2n = 18.

Ala., Fla.

Flowering summer--fall.

Sphagnous bogs, low pine savanna, shores of dolines, coastal plain; 0--100m.

Xyris isoetifolia, the quillwort yelloweyed grass, is a plant species native to southern Alabama and to the Florida panhandle, where it is found in coastal plains, Sphagnum bogs, and the edges of sinkholes.

Xyris isoetifolia is a perennial herb up to 40 cm (16 inches) tall. Leaves are rather narrow, and twisted, rarely more than 1 mm in width but up to 15 cm (6 inches) long, thus superficially resembling those of Isoetes.