| Xyridaceae | |
|---|---|
| Xyris complanata flower close-up | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Xyridaceae |
| Genera | |
Xyridaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants. Such a family has been recognized by many taxonomists and is known as the Yellow-eyed-grass Family.
The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, of 1998), also recognizes this family, and assigns it to the order Poales in the clade commelinids, in the monocots. This treatment in APG II represents a slight change from the APG system, of 1998, which had recognized the family Abolbodaceae for some of the plants included here: that family was unplaced as to order, but was assigned to this same clade (although APG used the spelling "commelinoids").
The family contains almost three hundred species in five genera, but most of the species are found in the genus Xyris (see also Abolboda). The species are mostly tropical and subtropical.
The Cronquist system, of 1981, also recognized such a family and placed it in the order Commelinales in the subclass Commelinidae in class Liliopsida in division Magnoliophyta.
The Wettstein system, last update in 1935, placed the family in order Enantioblastae.
Xyris torta or Twisted Yellow-Eyed Grass is on Minnesota's endangered species list.