Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Hypoxis decumbens
pasto estrella, Yellow star-grass, petit safran, star of Bethlehem
Scapose herb, 1-3 dm high, with dark and membranous leaf sheaths and brown rhizomes. Leaves are flat and scales are simple. The seeds are black and rounded (Wiggins and Porter 1971).
Mainly in open grassy areas (Wiggins and Porter 1971).
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida (= Monocotyledoneae)
Order
Asparagales
Family
Hypoxidaceae
Genus
Hypoxis
Species
decumbens
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Hypoxis decumbens var. major Seub. In Wiggins & Porter (1971) as Anthericum sessile Mill.
Origin: Native
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: The native range of this species is Mexico to Tropical America (POWO, 2023).
- Brako, L. Zarucchi,J.L. (1993) Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45: i–xl, 1–1286.
- Cayot, L. J. (1987) Ecology of Giant Tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus)in the Galápagos Islands. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biology in the Graduate School of Syracuse University.
- CONABIO (2009) Catálogo taxonómico de especies de México. Cap. nat. México 1.
- Hokche, O. Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (2008) Nuev. Cat. Fl. Vas. Venezuela 1–860.
- Itow, S. (1987) Comunidades Herbaceas y Ericaceas en las tierras altas de Santa Cruz Islas Galápagos. Pg. 52 - 65. Memorias: Taller sobre investigación Botánica y manejo en Galápagos.
- Itow, S. (1997) List of Plant Specimens collected in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, Natural Science, 38 (1): 53-144.
- McMullen, C.K. (1999) Flowering plants of the Galapagos. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, 370 pp.
- Robinson, B.L. (1902) Flora of the Galapagos Islands. Papers from the Hopkins-Stanford Expedition to the Galapgaos Islands. Proc. Amer. Acad. 38(4): 78-270.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2022) Plants of the world online POWO (2022): Plants of the world online. Published on the Internet; Https://powo.science.kew.org/
- Standley, P.C. Steyermark, J.A. (1946) Burseraceae. In Standley, P.C. & Steyermark, J.A. (eds.) Flora of Guatemala - Part V. Fieldiana, Bot. 24(5): 434–444
- Stevens, W.D. Ulloa, C., Pool, A., & Montiel, O.M. (2001) Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85: i–xlii, 1–2666.
- Stewart, A. (1911) A botanical survey of the Galápagos Islands. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 4th Series, 1: 7-288.
- Van der Werff, H.H. (s.a.) Pers. obs. and colls. Personal observations and collections.
- Wiggins, I.L. Porter, D.M. (1971) Flora of the Galapagos Islands Standford University Press, Stanford.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Hypoxis decumbens", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=991. Accessed 31 October 2026.