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Hypoxis hirsuta

(L.) Coville

Eastern Yellow Star-grass

G5Secure Found in 83 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.127933
Element CodePMLIL16010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderAsparagales
FamilyHypoxidaceae
GenusHypoxis
Synonyms
Ornithogalum hirsutumL.
Other Common Names
common goldstar (EN) Common Goldstar (EN) Hypoxis hirsute (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
It is not clear whether the circumscription of Hypoxis hirsuta as treated in Kartesz's 1994 checklist is the same as the 1999 treatment. The 1994 treatment MAY include H. hirsuta var. leptocarpa which is treated as H. curtissii in the 1999 treatment. FNA (vol. 26, 2002) includes H. hirsuta var. leptocarpa in H. curtissii.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-14
Change Date1984-01-19
Edition Date2024-08-14
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Hypoxis hirsuta is a wide-ranging perennial herb in open woodlands and prairies occurring in eastern and central North America from Ontario west to Saskatchewan, Canada and Maine, United States south to Georgia west to Texas and Colorado, and Mexico. Threats include development, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities, succession, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Hypoxis hirsuta occurs in eastern and central North America from Ontario west to Saskatchewan, Canada and Maine (historically), United States south to Georgia west to Texas and Colorado, and Mexico (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be almost 8 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are thousands of occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Rights-of-way maintenance can benefit this species by maintaining an open habitat if mowing occurs after seed set in fall. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Herbaceous perennial monocot with 6-merous yellow flowers, and with rhizomes or corms. Plants are scapose (without stem leaves), sparsely to densely pubescent, often pilose (with long, soft hairs), pubescence including at least some irregularly stellate trichomes. Leaves are all basal, grasslike. Plants are up to 3 dm tall with scape shorter than leaves. Tepals 6-10 mm long, yellow; ovary inferior. Fruits are capsules, crowned by persistent flower parts; seeds black, lustrous, 1-1.5 mm, coarsely rough (Weber and Wittmann 2012, Culver and Lemly 2013, Ackerfield 2015).

Habitat

Hypoxis hirsuta grows in "wet to dry woodlands and prairies" (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedSavannaGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaSNRYes
KansasS4Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
IllinoisS3Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
DelawareS3Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
ColoradoS1Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
VermontSHYes
LouisianaSNRYes
MaineSXYes
MississippiSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
New HampshireS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS2Yes
SaskatchewanS2Yes
ManitobaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (83)
Alabama (4)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Cheaha BTalladega National Forest741
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Reed BrakeTalladega National Forest621
Arkansas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Georgia (11)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,974
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Indian Grave GapChattahoochee National Forest1,020
Joe GapChattahoochee National Forest5,321
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Miller CreekChattahoochee National Forest701
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Tate BranchChattahoochee National Forest1,069
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Irish Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest1,226
North Carolina (20)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
South Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Ellicott Rock 2Sumter National Forest517
Tennessee (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Beaver Dam CreekCherokee National Forest5,070
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Virginia (28)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beartown Addition BJefferson National Forest2,985
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Crawford MountainGeorge Washington National Forest9,892
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Horse HeavenJefferson National Forest4,748
Hunting Camp Little Wolf CreekJefferson National Forest8,953
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Cheat MountainMonongahela National Forest8,191
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
References (10)
  1. Ackerfield, J. 2015. Flora of Colorado. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX. 818 pp.
  2. Britton, N. L. and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. 3 vol. Dover Publications, Inc., N. Y. 2052 pp.
  3. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  4. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  5. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  9. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, PLANTS Database [USDA PLANTS]. http://plants.usda.gov/. Accessed 2017.
  10. Weber, W.A., and R.C. Wittmann. 2012a. Colorado Flora, Eastern Slope, a field guide to the vascular plants, fourth edition. University of Colorado Press. Boulder, Colorado. 555 pp.