Hypoxis is a large genus in the Hypoxidaceae family found in tropical and southern Africa, the Americas, southeast Asia and Australia. The rootstock is a vertical rhizome. Leaves are often hairy and flowers star-shaped, usually yellow, but sometimes white.
Hypoxis acuminata is found in damp grassland in the Eastern Cape. It has hairy leaves in a spiral tuft and yellow flowers in spring. Photo by Cameron McMaster taken in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Hypoxis angustifolia has a carrotlike tuber, linear to lanceolate hairy leaves and yellow flowers. It grows in grassland or rock crevices from Mossel Bay, South Africa to tropical Africa, Mauritius, and Madagascar. Photo #1 by Cameron McMaster taken in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Photos #2-3 from Cameron McMaster were taken at the Kei River mouth in the Eastern Cape. The next two photos taken near Balloch in the Eastern Cape by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner, January 2010.
Hypoxis argentea grows in grassland, on rocky outcrops in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It has narrow ribbed leaves with silky yellowish hairs and small yellow flowers. Photos taken January 2010 by Cameron McMaster and Mary Sue Ittner on Gaika's Kop.
Hypoxis costata is a summer rainfall species southern Africa species found on stony, grassy slopes from 2050 to 2400 meters. It has broad rigid, sickle-shaped, ribbed leaves produced with flowers that are densely hairy or hairless. Flowering stems are as long as the leaves and the yellow flowers are large. Photos 1-3 taken January 2010 at Maclear by Mary Sue Ittner. Photos 4-5 taken January 2010 by Bob Rutemoeller in the Eastern Cape.
Hypoxis hemerocallidea syn. Hypoxis rooperi is found in marshy forest margins and grassland from the southern Cape to the Northern province, South Africa. It has sickle-shaped keeled hairy leaves. The yellow flowers on branched stems are green and hairy on the reverse of the outer tepals and open mornings. Photos by Cameron McMaster, Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner taken in the Eastern Cape.
Hypoxis longifolia grows from a rhizome that has a neck densely surrounded by fibrous bristles. It grows on seasonal damp grassy flats and slopes in the southeast Cape. Leaves are strongly veined and reach above the flowers. Flowers are yellow. Photo taken by Cameron McMaster in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape.
Hypoxis membranacea is a species common in swampy areas, grassland, and mistbelt forest from the coast to the mountains, Eastern Cape to Lesotho. This species has leaves with scattered white hairs and small white flowers. Photos by Cameron McMaster including a close-up of the flowers, the whole plant illustrating hairy leaves and flowers, and finally a photo of a form with larger leaves that also shows the hairy flower buds.
Hypoxis multiceps is found in grassland up to 2000m in the Eastern Cape. It has arching flat hairy rough leaves appearing after the flowers and 1-4 flowers opening in more or less opposite pairs. Photo by Cameron McMaster of the leaves taken in the Eastern Cape.
Hypoxis rigidula is wide spread in South Africa, growing on grassy slopes up to 2300 m. It has flat, erect strongly ribbed hairy leaves and large yellow flowers. Photos by Cameron McMaster taken at Maclear.
Hypoxis sp. #3 Argentina was obtained from Yucca Do Nursery. Photos taken July & August 2003 by Lee Poulsen.
Hypoxis sp. was taken near Morgan Bay in the Eastern Cape by Mary Sue Ittner.
Hypoxis zeyheri shown in habitat on Mt. Kubusie in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape. Photo taken by Cameron McMaster
