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grass widows, grass-widow, purple-eyed grass

Habit Herbs, perennial, strongly cespitose, rootstock indistinct.
Stems

simple, terete.

Leaves

2–4, cauline, alternate, reduced basally;

blade basally clasping or terete.

Inflorescences

rhipidiate, 1–5-flowered;

spathes 2, green, leaflike, unequal, apex acute or, rarely, obtuse.

Flowers

not fragrant, actinomorphic;

tepals distinct, reddish purple to magenta, occasionally pink or white, not clawed, ± equal;

stamens symmetrically arranged;

filaments connate to 1/2 their length;

anthers parallel, not appressed to style branches;

style branches 3, filiform, short, extending between anthers.

Capsules

globose to obovoid or broadly turbinate, ± smooth to distended around seeds, apex broadly rounded, basal 0.2 mm of styles sometimes persistent.

Seeds

many, obconic, angular;

seed coat brown, coarsely rugulose.

x

= 32.

Olsynium

Distribution
from USDA
North America; South America
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 12 (1 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 350. Authors: Anita F. Cholewa, Douglass M. Henderson†.
Parent taxa Iridaceae
Subordinate taxa
O. douglasii
Name authority Rafinesque: New Fl. 1: 72. (1836)
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