Herbs, 50–90(–104) cm. Leaves 20–60 cm; blade mostly 3–8 mm wide, margins smooth to ciliolate or papillate. Inflorescences: scapes often compressed distally, nearly ancipital 2-edged, (1.7–)2–3 (–4) mm wide, ribs 2, strong, sharp, making edges, edges smooth to somewhat scabrous or ciliolate, rarely with few additional intervening, low, smooth ribs; spikes lance-cylindric or cylindric, (1.5–)2–3(–3.5) cm; fertile bracts nearly orbiculate, (5.5–)6–7(–7.5) mm, margins erose, narrow, scarious. Flowers: lateral sepals 5–6.5 mm. Seeds (5.5–)6–8 mm.
Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Wet sands, peats, and peat-muck of shallows of acidic pineland ponds, bayheads, ditches, and seeps
Elevation: 0–200 m
Distribution
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Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tex.
Discussion
Xyris stricta var. stricta is the taller, wider leaved, smoother, broader scaped, larger bracted of the two varieties and prefers a wetter habitat.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.