Although Xyris species are usually found on acidic soils, Tennessee yellow-eyed grass is restricted to basic or circumneutral soils that thinly cover calcareous substrates with year-round seepage or mineral-rich water flow. This species is found in open or thin canopy woods in gravelly seep-slopes or gravelly bars and banks of small streams, springs, and ditches.

Tennessee yellow-eyed grass is a rare perennial monocot that is an obligate wetland plant that prefers relatively high pH seeps and streambanks. The plant ranges from 2.3 to 3.3 feet (7 to 10 decimeter) in height. Plants typically occur in clumps where they arise from fleshy bulbous bases. Leaves are basal, the outermost scale-like, the larger one linear, twisted, deep green and 5.5 to 17.7 inches (14 to 45 centimeters) long. The inflorescence consists of brown conelike spikes, 0.4 to 0.6 inches (1 to 1.5 centimeters) in length, which occur singly at the tips of long slender stalks from 12 to 28 inches (30 to 70 centimeters) long. The flowers, which are pale yellow in color and 0.2 inches (4.5 millimeters) long, unfold in the late morning and wither by mid-afternoon. Fruits are thin walled capsules containing numerous seeds 0.5 to 0.02 inches (0.6 millimeters) in length. Flowering occurs from August through September.

Tennessee yellow-eyed grass is one of many endangered plant species found in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. This plant grows in open areas of various wet habitat types like streambanks, seeps, fens and wet meadows. Tennessee yellow-eyed grass requires relatively specialized habitat that is almost exclusively found in slightly alkaline or circumneutral, gravelly-sandy substrata in rocky calcareous regions of the Ridge and Valley or Interior Low Plateaus physiographic provinces. The modification and alteration of habitat within the species range remains the primary and major threat for this species. Threats to the species include shading from woody trees and shrubs, competition from invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species , road construction and quarrying. Logging and clearcutting, soil disturbances, cattle trampling and grazing, draining and filling wetlands, stream impoundment, off-road vehicle use and lowering of water table by groundwater pumping all provide additional treats to this species.