Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Asparagales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Hypoxis sessilis
FAMILY
Hypoxidaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more from Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Hypoxis sessilis
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Hypoxis sessilis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26 (2002)
Hypoxis sessilis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Hypoxis sessilis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 044-07-005:
Hypoxis sessilis FAMILY Amaryllidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Hypoxis sessilis
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of the Southeastern US (Small, 1913)
Hypoxis hirsuta
COMMON NAME:
Glossyseed Stargrass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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Bryan England bry_042524_largerview
April Wake County NC
Scape < 2cm long. Peduncles 0.5-3cm long, usually solitary flowered, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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Bryan England bry_042524_plant1_closeup
April Wake County NC
Flowers usually solitary, the scapes pilose, much exceeded by the longer leaves, per Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southeastern United States (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981).
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Bryan England bry_042524_plant2_closeup
April Wake County NC
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Bryan England bry_042624_dugandwashed
April Wake County NC
Unlike H. rigida, the base of the plant does not have numerous stiff bristles, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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Bryan England bry_042924_unusual4
April Wake County NC
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Bryan England bry_043024_multiscape
April Wake County NC
This population has many plants with 3 sequential one-flowered scapes, but none multi-flowered. — Bryan England
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Bryan England bry_052924_image001
April Wake County NC
Flowering scape quite short, as short as 1" or up to 3", but leaves often a foot or more tall, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
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Bryan England bry_052924_image003
April Wake County NC
Seeds black beneath loose, iridescent, membranous coat, (1.3-) 1.4-2mm, with rounded pebbling, per Flora of North America.
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Bryan England bry_052924_image005
April Wake County NC
Surface of seed reticulate-pitted, the pits iridescent, coppery gold-green-blue, per Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southeastern United States (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981).
)
Bryan England bry_052924_image008
April Wake County NC
Seeds iridescent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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Bryan England bry_053025_image001
April Wake County NC
Seeds iridescent, round, ovoid to ellipsoid, desnsely covered with pointed tubercles, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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Bryan England bry_053025_image002
April Wake County NC
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Bryan England bry_070224_image009
April Wake County NC
Its conspicuous 3-part dehiscent fruiting structure has often been mistaken for a 3-part flower. — Bryan England
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Hypoxis sessilis
FAMILY
Hypoxidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Hypoxis sessilis
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Hypoxis sessilis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26
Hypoxis sessilis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Hypoxis sessilis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 044-07-005:
Hypoxis sessilis
FAMILY
Amaryllidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Hypoxis sessilis
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of the Southeastern US (Small, 1913)
Hypoxis hirsuta
5018
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Wet pine savannas, drier pinelands, Silveus dropseed prairies (TX), sand prairies (AR), per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple - grasslike
FLOWER:
Spring
Yellow
6 tepals
6 stamens
Inferior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".