826.000 Xyris L.

Lisowski, S., Brylska, B. & Wiland-Szymanska, J. (2001) Xyridaceae Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Congo-Kinshasa - Rwanda - Burundi) Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, Bruxelles

Lock, J.M. (2010) Xyridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 13(4) 1-33

Description of the genus

Annual or perennial herbs, often forming clumps; rhizomes, when present, short, horizontal or ascending. Leaves virtually all basal. Inflorescence a condensed bracteate spike at the end of elongated peduncles which are often variously grooved or ridged; lower bracts of the spike occasionally elongated or reflexed. Flowers borne singly in the axils of the fertile bracts, short-lived; calyx of 3 unequal segments, the adaxial hooded and enclosing the flower-bud, the laterals asymmetric and often keeled; corolla yellow (blue in at least one West African species). Fruit a loculicidal capsule.

Derivation of name: from Greek: xyron, meaning a razor, applied to an aromatic species of Iris with razor-like leaves.

DRC: 38 taxa.

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Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesBotanical divisionsContent
anceps Lam. var. anceps IImage
angularis N.E. Br.III,IV,VI,VII,XI
angustifolia De Wild. & T.Durand [End]III,IV,VI
anisophylla Welw. ex RendleIV,XI
aristata N.E.Br.XI
bampsii Lisowski [End]XI
capensis Thunb. var. capensis VI,VII,IX,XI
capensis Thunb. var. pallescens MalmeIV,VII,VIII,XI
capillaris MalmeXI
congensis BüttnerIII,IV,V,VI,XI
densa MalmeIII,IV,VI
dissimilis Malme IV,XI
elegantula Malme IX
erubescens Rendle III,IV,V,VI,XIImage
exigua Malme [End]VI
filiformis Lam.III,IV,VI
foliolata L.A. Nilsson IV,XI
friesii Malme IV,VII,XI
fugaciflora Rendle III,V,XI
gossweileri Malme IV,V,XI
imitatrix Malme III,IV,VI,XI
kibaraensis Lisowski [End]XI
kornasiana Brylska & Lisowski XI
kundelungensis Brylska [End]XI
kwangolana P.A.Duvign. & HomesIV,XI
lejolyana Lisowski [NrEnd]XI
leonensis HepperV,XIDescription
obscura N.E. Br.XIImage
peteri Poelln. XI
popeana Lisowski [End]XI
rehmannii L.A. NilssonVIII,XIImage
rhodolepis (Malme) LockXI
sanguinea Verm. ex MalmeIII,XI
scabridula RendleXI
straminea L.A. NilssonIV,VII,XI
symoensii Brylska & Lisowski  [NrEnd]XI
unistriata MalmeXI
valida Malme [NrEnd]IX

Other sources of information about Xyris:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Xyris
Flora of Burundi: Xyris
Flora of Malawi: Xyris
Flora of Mozambique: Xyris
Flora of Rwanda: Xyris
Flora of Zambia: Xyris
Flora of Zimbabwe: Xyris

External websites:

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

Copyright: The DRC flora team, 2024-26

The DRC flora team (2026). Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Genus page: Xyris.
https://www.drcongoflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=311, retrieved 27 June 2026

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