Species: Hypoxis hirsuta (L.) Coville

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Hypoxis hirsuta (L.) Coville

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Liliaceae

Genus:

Hypoxis

Species Synonyms:

Hypoxis decumbens L.
Ornithogalum hirsutum L.

Common Names:

common goldstar
eastern yellow star-grass
yellow stargrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southeastern Saskatchewan – southern Ontario

Saskatchewan:

southeastern Saskatchewan

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

mesic grasslands

Canada:

moist to dry prairies and occasionally in open deciduous woods

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Hypoxis hirsuta is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is at the northern extent of its range and is rarely found in this province. No immediate threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

5 – 30 cm

Roots:

corm subglobose to ellipsoid, coat membranous

Scapes:

filiform

Leaves:

basal, 3 – 6, 5 – 26 cm long, 2 – 5 mm wide, linear, soft, essentially glabrous to densely pubescent

Inflorescence:

umbel ascending to spreading, 1 – 14-flowered; bracts 2 – 10 mm; pedicel 9 – 25 mm long, usually twice as long as the bracts

Flowers:

tepals 6 – 10 mm long, shorter than pedicel, much longer than ovary, yellow; stamens 6, anthers introrse; ovary inferior, densely pubescent

Fruits:

capsule ellipsoid; seeds black, lustrous

LILIACEAE KEY FOR GENERA FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Leaves whitish, reduced to scales, cladodes branched with needle-like segments; flowers axillary	Asparagus
1 Leaves green, not reduced to scales; flowers terminal or axillary	2

2 At least some leaves whorled, occasionally upper or lowermost alternate or opposite; flowers large	3
2 Leaves all alternate or basal; flowers small	4

3 Leaves ovate to rhombic	Trillium
3 Leaves linear to broadly lanceolate	Lilium

4 Leaves linear to narrowly lance-shaped, many times longer than wide; fruit dry	5
4 Leaves lance-shaped to ovate, only a few times longer than wide; fruit fleshy	8

5 Flowers in umbels; plants with an onion odour	Allium
5 Flowers in racemes; plants lacking an onion odour

6 Leaves with flat part of blade turned towards stem; bulbs present; tepals segments at least 6 mm long	Zigadenus
6 Leaves with edges turned towards stem; rootstocks present; tepals < 5 mm long	7

7 Stems smooth; pedicels solitary; seeds without a tail-like appendage	Tofieldia
7 Stems glandular-pubescent; pedicels in clusters of 2 or 3; seeds with a tail-like appendage	Triantha

8 Leaves basal, with few on stem, reduced upwards, grass-like	Hypoxis
8 Leaves cauline, usually without basal leaves, wider	9

9 Flowers axillary, greenish-white	10
9 Flowers terminal on stems or branches, yellow or whitish or greenish-yellow	11

10 Tepals fused to form a tube; flowers 2 or more	Polygonatum
10 Tepals distinct; flowers 1 or 2	Streptopus

11 Stems simple; ovary with nectaries	Maianthemum
11 Stems branched distally; ovary lacking nectaries	Prosartes (formerly Disporum)