keys to the vascular plants of east texas - Botanical Research ...

682 HYPOXIDACEAE/HYPOXIS
long; seeds black, lustrous, coarsely muricate, the projections blunt pointed. Streambanks,
floodplains, wet woods, typically in wet mucky soils; Jefferson (BRIT), Angelina, Hardin, Harris,
Newton (Turner et al. 2003), and Liberty (Brown et al. 2002) cos. in the Pineywoods, also n margin
of Gulf Prairies and Marshes; se U.S. from VA s to FL w to TX; se Canada and widespread in
the e U.S. w to ND, CO, and TX. Flowering throughout the growing season. [H. leptocarpa
(Engelm. & A. Gray) Small, H. hirsuta (L.) Coville var. leptocarpa (Engelm. & A. Gray) Brackett]
According to Herndon (2002), when not in flower, the rosettes of this species “can be easily
mistaken for Cyperus.” Herndon (1992b) clarified nomenclature for this species.
Hypoxis hirsuta (L.) Coville, (hairy), YELLOW STAR-GRASS, COMMON GOLDSTAR, EASTERN YELLOW
STAR-GRASS. Corm 5–20 mm thick; leaves linear, 10–60 cm long, 1–8(–rarely more) mm wide,
glabrous to densely pubescent; flowering stems 6–20(–35) cm tall, from half as long as the
leaves to almost as long; inflorescence with (1–)2–5(–7) flowers in a � umbellate arrangement;
perianth segments (3–)6–12 mm long, to 18 mm with age, lanceolate to elliptic; capsules 2–6
mm long; seeds black, lustrous, coarsely muricate, the projections sharp pointed. Open woods,
prairies, and roadsides, typically on well-drained sites; Pineywoods and Gulf Prairies and
Marshes w to Dallas and Grayson (BRIT) cos.; also Montague (R. O’Kennon, pers. obs.) and Wise
(BRIT) cos. in the Cross Timbers and Prairies; se Canada and e U.S. w to SD and TX. Late Mar–
early May. [H. erecta L., H. micrantha Pollard] This is by far the most widespread and abundant
Hypoxis in East TX. m/289
Hypoxis rigida Chapm., (rigid, stiff), CHAPMAN’S YELLOW STAR-GRASS. Plant similar to H. hirsuta;
corm 6–15 mm thick; leaves sparsely to densely pubescent, (0.8–)1–2(–2.6) mm wide, the old leaf
bases persisting as bristly fibers; inflorescence with 1–2(–4) flowers, the proximal 2 flowers (if 2
or more present) not paired; seeds black, lustrous, with rounded pebbling. Floodplains, low
pinelands, sandy woods, savannahs, bog margins, and ditches; Hardin and Jasper (BRIT—identified
by A. Herndon) cos.; se U.S. from SC s to FL w to TX. Spring–summer. While not officially
designated as such (e.g., TOES 1993; Carr 2002d; Poole et al. 2002), given its limited distribution
in the state, we consider this species to be of conservation concern in TX. �
Hypoxis sessilis L., (sessile, stalkless), GLOSS-SEED YELLOW STAR-GRASS, GLOSS-SEED GOLD STAR.
Plant similar to H. hirsuta; corm 5–10 mm thick; leaves linear, 10–60 cm long, 1–5(–6) mm wide,
the old leaf bases usually not disintegrating into bristly fibers; flowers usually 1(–2), if 2
present, these not paired; capsules 3–11 mm long; seeds with a loose film or coating of a goldenbrown
iridescent substance, with rounded pebbling. Mesic to dry pinelands, pine-hardwood
forests, forest margins, sandy openings; Pineywoods—A. Herndon tentatively identified BRIT
specimens from Hardin and Tyler cos. as H. sessilis, also Jefferson and Polk (Turner et al. 2003)
cos.; also n Gulf Prairies and Marshes; cleistogamous forms—previously known as H. longii—
have been reported for Bowie and Cass cos. (Taylor & Taylor 1981b; mapped by Turner et al.
2003); these specimens (at BRIT) were subsequently annotated by A. Herndon as H. sessilis; se
U.S. from VA s to FL w to AR, OK, and TX. Mar–summer(–Sep), but throughout growing season
in response to fire or disturbance (Herndon 2002). [H. longii Fernald] We are following Herndon
(1988, 2002) in synonymizing H. longii, with greenish or whitish cleistogamous flowers and
short perianth segments (ca. 3 mm or less long) with H. sessilis; both chasmogamous and cleistogamous
forms are found in the same population. However, according to Taylor and Taylor
(1981b), “Our observations do not support this conclusion [that H. longii and H. sessilis are conspecific].
Quite to the contrary, we feel that H. longii is the most distinct of all the species of
Hypoxis that we know.”
Hypoxis wrightii (Baker) Brackett, (for Charles Wright, 1811–1885, who collected the type specimen
in Cuba), BRISTLE-SEED STAR-GRASS, BRISTLE-SEED YELLOW STAR-GRASS, BRISTLE-SEED
GOLDSTAR. Plant similar to H. hirsuta; corm 4–12 mm thick; leaves 2.1(–2.6) mm or less wide,
sparsely to densely pubescent, the old leaf bases sometimes disintegrating into bristly fibers;