Spermatophyta: Monocotyledonae: Poales

Xyridaceae

Lewis, J. & Obermeyer, A.A. (1985) Xyridaceae Flora of Southern Africa 4(2)

Lock, J.M. (1999) A synopsis of Xyris in south-central Africa. Kew Bulletin 54 301-336

Description of the family

Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves linear or filiform, mostly basal and usually sheathing at base. Inflorescence spicate or capitate, consisting of imbricate bracts in an ovoid head terminating an elongated scape; outer 2 to few pairs of bracts often sterile. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic or partially zygomorphic. Sepals (2-)3; lower 2 placed laterally and opposite. Petals 3, free or united, actinomorphic. Stamens 3, often with 3 alternate staminodes. Ovary superior, usually 1-locular; ovules numerous. Seeds usually apiculate and longitudinally striate.

Worldwide: 5 genera and 260 species, tropical and warm areas, few temperate.

Malawi: 1 genus and 14 taxa.

Xyris schliebenii

Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Xyris L.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Xyridaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Xyridaceae
Flora of Burundi: Xyridaceae
Flora of the DRC: Xyridaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Xyridaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Xyridaceae
Flora of Zambia: Xyridaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Xyridaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Xyridaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Xyridaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Xyridaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Xyridaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Xyridaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Xyridaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Xyridaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Xyridaceae
Wikipedia: Xyridaceae
Plants of the World Online: Xyridaceae
Tropicos: Xyridaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Family page: Xyridaceae.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=237, retrieved 4 November 2024

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