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Olsynium douglasii

Douglas' blue-eyed-grass (var. douglasii), Douglas' grass-widow, grass widows, grass-widow, purple blue-eyed-grass (var. inflatum), purple-eyed grass, purple-eyed grass-widow, satinflower

grass widows, grass-widow, purple-eyed grass

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

to 4.1 dm × 1–4.6 mm.

simple, terete.

Leaves

blades 1.5–4.5 mm wide distal to midlength.

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.

Spathes

4.3–7 mm wide, outer 2–6.2 cm;

hyaline margins 0.2–0.5(–1.6) mm wide, extending to just proximal to, or occasionally exceeding, green apex.

Capsules

4.5–11.3 mm.

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.

Tepals

12.5–33 mm;

filaments 6–12.2 mm;

anthers 3–10.2 mm;

ovary 2–5.6 mm;

pedicel 2–3.8 cm.

x

= 32.

2n

= 64.

Olsynium douglasii

Olsynium

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Species 12 (1 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Filament column abruptly and broadly flared at base.
var. inflatum
1. Filament column slightly or not flared.
var. douglasii
Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 350. Authors: Anita F. Cholewa, Douglass M. Henderson†.
Parent taxa Iridaceae > Olsynium Iridaceae
Subordinate taxa
O. douglasii var. douglasii, O. douglasii var. inflatum
O. douglasii
Synonyms Sisyrinchium douglasii
Name authority (A. Dietrich) E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 237. (1900) Rafinesque: New Fl. 1: 72. (1836)
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