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Star Grass
Curculigo orchioides
キンバイザサ
A perennial herb native to grasslands of the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu. The linear leaves, resembling those of iris, emerge in basal tufts. Small yellow flowers appear near ground level from spring to summer. In traditional Chinese medicine, the rhizome is called 'xianmao' and used as a tonic.
Identification Points
- ✓Linear leaves in basal tufts (iris-like)
- ✓Yellow 6-tepaled flowers bloom near the leaf base
- ✓Rhizome is dark brown and thick
Habitat
Grasslands and forest edges of the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu
Season
April–July (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Herb
Leaf shape
Linear
Flower color
Yellow
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Inferior
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Positionキンバイザサ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Monocots > Asparagales > Hypoxidaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene
Evolution Notes
Hypoxidaceae (Amaryllidales) was formerly included in Liliaceae but recognized as an independent small family under the APG system. It occupies a phylogenetically interesting position within monocots.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification