Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Pauridia vaginata

Flower. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Kevin Thiele, WA

Flowering plant (var. vaginata) Photographer Russell Best, NE of Daylesford, Vic

Line drawing (var. vaginata) (as Hypoxis vaginata var. vaginata). g. portion of stem with bracteole. A Barley, National Herbarium of Victoria, © 2021 Royal Botanic Gardens Board

Common name

Yellow Star

Family

Hypoxidaceae

Where found

Woodland, grassland, and damp sites. Kosciuszko National Park, the mountains to the north, ACT, tablelands, and Western Slopes. Most records do not specify the subspecies.

var. brevistigmata:  Western Slopes and the mountains north east of Albury. Tablelands east of Cowra.

var. vaginata:  ACT and Western Slopes.

Notes

Perennial herb to 0.35 m high, hairless. Leaves clustered at the base of the plant, 2–35 cm long, 1–3.5 mm wide, flat or angular in cross section, hairless, with a sheath at the base, margins, at least towards the base, usually with irregularly spaced, small tooth-like outgrowths. Flowers yellow, with 6 'petals' each 5-22 mm long. Stamens 1.8–10 mm long, alternately long and short. Bracteole single, 10–70 mm long, closely sheathing the stem for the greater part. Flowers single or paired. 1-4 flower stalks per plant. Flowers Aug.–Nov.

Hypoxis vaginata in PlantNET.

var. brevistigmata:  Plant to about 12 cm high. 'Petals' 5–10 mm long, 1.6–3 mm wide. Stamens 1.8–5.5 mm long; anthers 1–1.7 mm long. Style 1.8–3 mm long. Flowers single.

var. vaginata:  Plant 6–35 cm high. 'Petals' 7–22 mm long, 2–6 mm wide. Stamens 2.5–10 mm long; anthers 2–10 mm long. Style 2.5–6.5 mm long. Flowers single or paired. 

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

PlantNET description with key to subspecies (as Hypoxis vaginata):  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Hypoxis~vaginata  (accessed 2 May 2021)