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- Xyris montana
Xyris montana — northern yellow-eyed-grass
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Facts
Northern yellow-eyed-grass is found in peaty and boggy situations in all New England states. The stems can become very long when the plant grows in deep peat.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), bogs, fens, shores of rivers or lakes, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade length
- 40–150 mm
- Flower petal color
-
- white
- yellow
- Flower petal length
- 3–4 mm
- Petal fusion
-
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
- the perianth parts are separate
- Inflorescence type
-
- the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
-
Clonal plantlets
- Axillary bulblets
- there are no bulblets being produced in axils
-
Flowers
- Anther attachment
- the anther is attached by its base to the filament
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused (the number of carpels equals the number of locules)
- Flower bract length
- 3–4.5 mm
- Flower bracts
- there are bracts associated with the flower
- Flower petal color
-
- white
- yellow
- Flower petal length
- 3–4 mm
- Flower symmetry
-
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowering stem width
- 0.25–1 mm
- Form of style
- the style is branched above the base
- Fringed petal edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Hairs on flower stalk
- NA
- Inflorescence length
- 4–8 mm
- Inflorescence type
-
- the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Marks on petals
- there are no noticeable marks on the petals
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 3
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals and/or petals
- there are six petals, sepals or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- the petal narrows abruptly at the base
- Petal fusion
-
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
- the perianth parts are separate
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
- Sepal length
- 4.3–4.7 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spathe
- the plant does not have a spathe
- Spathe form
- NA
- Stamen number
- 3
- Stamen position relative to petals
- the stamens are lined up with the sepals
- Stamens fused outwards
- the stamens are fused to the petals or tepals at or near their bases
- Style petal-like
- the style is not broad and flattened like a petal
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule ridges
- there are no ribs or wings on the capsule
- Fruit compartments
- there is only one locule in the fruit
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Other markings on berry
- NA
-
Glands or sap
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Root septa
- the roots do not have transverse septa
- Underground organs
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade basal lobes
- the leaf blades do not have basal lobes
- Leaf blade cross-section
-
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section
- the leaf blade is round or semicircular
- Leaf blade faces
- the surfaces of the leaf blade are composed of tissues from the abaxial side only
- Leaf blade form
- Fully-formed (i.e., expanded), +/- green leaf blades are found somewhere on the plant
- Leaf blade length
- 40–150 mm
- Leaf blade orientation
- the edge of the leaf blade faces the stem of the plant
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins are parallel or slightly arched in the direction of the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 0.8–3 mm
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Stipule twining
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on this plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- edges of wetlands
- fens
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the leaves have no particular smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is held upright
- Flowering stem leaves
- there is at least one fully-formed leaf on the flowering stem
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
- Massachusetts
- rare (uncertain) (S-rank: S2?)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state threatened (code: ST)
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), threatened (code: T)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Xyris montana Ries N
northern yellow-eyed-grass. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Peaty pond and lake shores, bogs, acidic fens, boggy rights-of-way.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Xyris difformis:
- sheaths smooth, leaves than 2–7 mm wide, floral scales mostly 5–7 mm long, entire, with a well-defined, green central area (vs. X. montana, with sheaths minutely papillose, leaves mostly 0.8–2 mm wide, floral scales mostly 3–4 mm long, erose or minutely fimbriate along the margins, lacking a well-defined, green central region).
- Xyris torta:
- keel of lateral sepals firm, ciliate except at the red-fimbriate tip, leaves twisted, seeds ca. 0.5 mm long, and base of plant abruptly bulbous (vs. X. montana, with the keel of lateral sepals weak, scarious, entire to lacerate, leaves plane, seeds 0.6-1 mm long, and base of plant not abruptly bulbous).