Xyridaceae

Non-woody plants of bogs, shores and other wetlands, with flat, basal, grass-like parallel-veined leaves in two rows; and showy, short-lived, yellow flowers among overlapping bracts arranged in cone-shaped heads at the ends of long stalks. Critical features for identification of species include the width of the leaves, the presence or absence of hairs on the keels of the boat-shaped sepals, the colour of the bracts of the flower heads, and the presence or absence of ridges on the seeds.

Flowers arranged in a dense cone-like head or spike, with persistent, overlapping, spirally-arranged bracts, at the end of one to several long stalks arising from the axils of bracts or inner leaves. Each flower is unstalked, in the axil of a stiff papery to leathery bract, appears to be bilaterally symmetric, and usually produces both pollen and seeds. In New Brunswick species, the 3 petals are yellow, separate but overlapping, very narrow at the base and broader toward the tip, and quickly wilting, often expanding for no more than a few hours. Usually only 1-2 flowers are open at the same time. Sepals 3, separate, and in 2 distinctive forms. The single inner sepal is thin, soft and flexible, hood-shaped, and wrapped around the rest of the flower parts, falling off as the flower opens. The 2 lateral sepals are persistent, usually smaller, nearly opposite one another, stiff and papery, boat-shaped and usually have keels. There are 3 stamens that produce pollen and three that do not. The ones that produce pollen are situated opposite the petals and have short stalks that are fused to the petals. The staminoides (stamens that do not produce pollen) are densely covered with hairs shaped somewhat like a string of beads, and have 2 branches at the top. Carpels 3, fused; ovary situated above the point of attachment of the other flower parts (superior); stigmas 3, enlarged at the tips.

Fruit a chambered capsule surrounded by the persistent dried petals and clasped by the two lateral sepals; seeds tiny, sometimes with prominent ridges running from one end to the other.

Leaves grass-like, linear, flattened, with parallel veins and smooth edges. Leaves all basal, arising from the stem in 2 rows, and wrapped around the stem (sheathing) at the base.

Plants with corm-like or bulb-like stems or rhizomes.