yellow star grass

not listed

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

FACW - Facultative wetland

FAC - Facultative

FAC - Facultative

Yellow star grass is a 4″ to 12″ tall, erect, perennial forb that is easy to overlook if not in bloom. There is no above-ground central stem. A whorl of leaves and a flowering stalk rise from a small, solid, vertical, thickened, underground stem (corm).

The 3 to 6 grass-like leaves are linear, up to 1′ long and ½″ wide, and have scattered long, soft, straight hairs.

One or more leafless stalks (scapes) support irregular, umbrella-like inflorescences (umbels) of 2 to 6 flowers each, with the flower stalks arising from more or less the same point. The scape also has scattered hairs and is shorter than the leaves. It can be up to 8″ in height, but is rarely more than 6″.

The star-like flowers are ½″ to 1″ across and have 6 tepals that spread outward. The tepals are 3 petals and 3 sepals. The underside of the sepals and the flower stems are densely hairy. There are usually only one or two flowers open at a time. The flowers open in the morning then melt in the midday sun.

4″ to 12″

Yellow

Wet to dry. Open woods, prairies. Full or partial sun.

April to July

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Common

There are an estimated 90, 100, or 150 species in the genus Hypoxis, depending on the source. Yellow star grass is the only Hypoxis species found in Minnesota.

Location: Eagles Bluff Park in La Crescent, MN

Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Black Dog Unit

Location: Joseph A. Tauer Prairie SNA