Hypoxis

''Hypoxis'' is a genus of flowering plants of the family Hypoxidaceae. The genus has an " almost cosmopolitan" distribution, occurring in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Australia.Singh, Y. (Natal Herbarium, Durban)
''Hypoxis''.
PlantZAfrica.com: South African National Biodiversity Institute. 2004. Europe lacks native species.''Hypoxis''.
Flora of China. Most species are in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in southern Africa.''Hypoxis''.
Flora of North America. Common names for the genus include star-grass, star lily, yellow stars, African potato, and stars.''Hypoxis''.
FloraBase. Western Australian Herbarium. The genus is the largest of the Hypoxidaceae and has its centre of variation in South Africa, where it occurs in open undisturbed grasslands. The name ''Hypoxis'' was taken over by Linnaeus in 1759 from a name coined by Paul Reneaulme in 1611 for a superficially similar species of ''Gagea'' and meaning "a little sour", referring to the taste of that plant's leaves.

Description

These plants are perennial herbs with corms or rhizomes. Some have tubers. The aboveground herbage is a layered cluster of lance-shaped, linear, or hairlike leaves, sometimes sheathed together at the bases. The blades are usually at least slightly hairy. The flowers are borne on a short, stemlike scape in a raceme or umbel arrangement, or sometimes singly. The flower has six yellow tepals which may be hairy, especially on the undersides. The undersides may also be whitish or tinged green or red. Occasional flowers have 4 or 8 tepals. The fruit is a capsule with a few to many small, oily seeds.

The seeds are needed to identify many species. Most have seeds less than 2 millimeters long, so microscopic examination is required.

Uses

''Hypoxis'' plants have long played a role in traditional African medicine; ''H. hemerocallidea'' and ''H. colchicifolia'' are the best known species used to make medicine and teas. The genus is not only used in traditional medicine, it has become important also in pharmaceutical preparations.

Archaeological evidence found in ashes in Border Cave, South Africa has revealed that early humans roasted the rhizomes of some of the more palatable species of ''Hypoxis'' as long as 170,000 years ago.

Species

Sources have estimated 90 or 100 to 150Genus ''Hypoxis''.
New South Wales Flora Online. National Herbarium. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. species in the genus. , Plants of the World Online recognized 90 species:

*'' Hypoxis abyssinica'' Hochst.
*'' Hypoxis acuminata'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis angustifolia'' Lam.
*'' Hypoxis argentea'' Harv. ex Baker
*''Hypoxis arillacea'' R.J.F.Hend.
*''Hypoxis atlantica''
*''Hypoxis aurea'' Lour.
*''Hypoxis bampsiana'' Wiland
*''Hypoxis baurii''
*''Hypoxis camerooniana'' Baker
*''Hypoxis canaliculata'' Baker
*''Hypoxis catamarcensis'' Brackett
*''Hypoxis cavernicola''
*''Hypoxis colchicifolia'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis colliculata'' Sánchez-Ken
*'' Hypoxis costata'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis cuanzensis'' Welw. ex Baker
*'' Hypoxis curtissii'' Rose in J.K.Small – Curtiss' star-grass
*'' Hypoxis decumbens'' L.
*'' Hypoxis demissa'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis dinteri'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis domingensis'' Urb.
*'' Hypoxis exaltata'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis exilis'' R.J.F.Hend. – swamp star
*'' Hypoxis filiformis'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis fischeri'' Pax
*'' Hypoxis flanaganii'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis floccosa'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis galpinii'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis gerrardii'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis goetzei'' Harms
*'' Hypoxis gregoriana'' Rendle
*'' Hypoxis hemerocallidea'' Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Avé-Lall. – African potato
*'' Hypoxis hirsuta'' (L.) Coville – common goldstar
*'' Hypoxis humilis'' Kunth
*'' Hypoxis hygrometrica'' Labill. – golden weather-glass
*'' Hypoxis interjecta'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis juncea'' Sm. – fringed yellow star-grass
*'' Hypoxis kilimanjarica'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis kraussiana'' Buchinger ex C.Krauss
*'' Hypoxis lata'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis lejolyana'' Wiland
*'' Hypoxis leucotricha'' Fritsch
*'' Hypoxis limicola'' B.L.Burtt
*'' Hypoxis longifolia'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis lucens'' McVaugh
*'' Hypoxis ludwigii'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis lusalensis'' Wiland
*'' Hypoxis malaissei'' Wiland
*'' Hypoxis marginata'' R.Br.
*'' Hypoxis membranacea'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis mexicana'' Schult. & Schult.f. – Mexican yellow star-grass
*''Hypoxis milloides''
*'' Hypoxis monanthos'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis muhilensis'' Wiland
*'' Hypoxis multiceps'' Buchinger ex Baker
*'' Hypoxis neliana'' Schinz
*'' Hypoxis nervosa'' R.J.F.Hend.
*'' Hypoxis nivea'' Y.Singh
*'' Hypoxis nyasica'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis oblonga'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis obtusa'' Burch. ex Ker Gawl.
*'' Hypoxis oligophylla'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis parvifolia'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis parvula'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis polystachya'' Welw. ex Baker
*'' Hypoxis potosina'' Brackett
*'' Hypoxis pratensis'' R.Br.
*'' Hypoxis protrusa'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis pulchella'' G.L.Nesom
*'' Hypoxis rigida'' Chapm.
*'' Hypoxis rigidula'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis robusta'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis rubella''
*'' Hypoxis sagittata'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis schimperi'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis sessilis'' L.
*'' Hypoxis setosa'' Baker
*'' Hypoxis sobolifera'' Jacq.
*'' Hypoxis stellipilis'' Ker Gawl.
*'' Hypoxis suffruticosa'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis symoensiana'' Wiland
*'' Hypoxis tepicensis'' Brackett
*'' Hypoxis tetramera'' Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
*'' Hypoxis uniflorata'' Markötter
*'' Hypoxis upembensis'' Wiland
*'' Hypoxis urceolata'' Nel
*'' Hypoxis villosa'' L.f.
*'' Hypoxis wrightii'' (Baker) Brackett
*'' Hypoxis zeyheri'' Baker

Gallery

File:Fringed Yellow Stargrass (Hypoxis juncea) (6148269752).jpg, '' Hypoxis juncea''
File:Hypoxis hemerocallidea02.jpg, '' Hypoxis hemerocallidea''
File:Hairy Yellow Star Grass (4752131261).jpg, '' Hypoxis hirsuta''

References

External links

''Hypoxis''.
Red List of South African Plants. SANBI.
GRIN Species Records of ''Hypoxis''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
''Hypoxis''.
ITIS.

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4308690

Asparagales genera