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eastern blue-eyed-grass

beautiful blue-eyed grass, blue-eyed grass, western blue-eyed-grass

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, yellowish to light olive when dry, to 5.7 dm, not glaucous. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, green to ashy olive when dry, to 3.8 dm, not glaucous.
Stems

branched, with 1 or 2 nodes, 0.8–1.9 mm wide, usually glabrous, margins entire, similar in color and texture to stem body;

first internode 11–36 cm, longer than leaves;

distalmost node with 2–3 branches.

branched, with 1–2 nodes, 1.5–5.3 mm wide, glabrous, margins entire to denticulate apically, similar in color and texture to stem body;

first internode 11–33 cm, usually equaling or longer than leaves;

distalmost node with 2–3 branches.

Leaf

blades usually glabrous, bases occasionally becoming fibrous, but not persistent in tufts.

blades glabrous, bases not persistent in fibrous tufts.

Inflorescences

borne singly;

spathes green or occasionally with purplish tinge on margins, obviously wider than supporting branch, glabrous or slightly scabrous, keels entire;

outer 12–16.1 mm, 1.4 mm shorter to 1.5 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, margins basally connate 3–5.2 mm;

inner with keel evenly curved or straight, hyaline margins 0.2–0.6 mm wide, apex broadly rounded to truncate, usually erose, ending 0–0.5 mm proximal to green apex or, occasionally, exceeding it by up to 0.5 mm.

borne singly;

spathes green, obviously wider than supporting branch, glabrous, keels entire to denticulate;

outer 14–30 mm, usually 2–7 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, margins basally connate 4–7.6 mm;

inner with keel evenly curved to straight, hyaline margins 0.1–0.7 mm wide, apex abruptly widening, ending 0.2–1.3 mm proximal to green apex.

Flowers

tepals light blue or bluish violet to purple or occasionally white, bases yellow;

outer tepals 6.3–11 mm, apex emarginate to truncate, aristate;

filaments connate ± entirely, stipitate-glandular basally;

ovary blackish, in contrast with much lighter foliage.

tepals light blue to dark bluish violet or rarely purplish or white, bases yellow;

outer tepals often broadly cuneate, 10–17 mm, apex rounded, truncate, or occasionally emarginate, aristate;

filaments connate ± entirely, usually glabrous;

ovary similar in color to foliage.

Capsules

dark brown to black or purplish black, ± globose to obovoid, 2–4.1 mm;

pedicel ascending to erect.

tan to dark brown, globose to obovoid, 3–5 mm;

pedicel erect to ascending.

Seeds

globose to obconic, lacking obvious depression, 0.5–1.2 mm, rugulose or occasionally granular.

globose to obconic, lacking obvious depression, 1.5–2.2 mm, rugulose.

2n

= 16, 32.

= 32.

Sisyrinchium atlanticum

Sisyrinchium bellum

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering early spring–late summer.
Habitat Moist meadows and coastal dunes in sandy, peaty, or rich, loamy soil Open, mostly moist, grassy areas and woods
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 0–2400 m (0–7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NS
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from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sisyrinchium bellum is the most common species of Sisyrinchium in California; it is highly variable in habit, flower color, and size. Plants of serpentine areas are intermediate with S. idahoense var. idahoense; plants of the Transverse Ranges are intermediate with S. demissum.

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

Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 363.
Parent taxa Iridaceae > Sisyrinchium Iridaceae > Sisyrinchium
Sibling taxa
S. albidum, S. angustifolium, S. arizonicum, S. bellum, S. biforme, S. californicum, S. campestre, S. capillare, S. cernuum, S. demissum, S. dichotomum, S. elmeri, S. ensigerum, S. funereum, S. fuscatum, S. groenlandicum, S. halophilum, S. hitchcockii, S. idahoense, S. langloisii, S. littorale, S. longipes, S. miamiense, S. minus, S. montanum, S. mucronatum, S. nashii, S. pallidum, S. pruinosum, S. radicatum, S. rosulatum, S. sagittiferum, S. sarmentosum, S. septentrionale, S. strictum, S. xerophyllum
S. albidum, S. angustifolium, S. arizonicum, S. atlanticum, S. biforme, S. californicum, S. campestre, S. capillare, S. cernuum, S. demissum, S. dichotomum, S. elmeri, S. ensigerum, S. funereum, S. fuscatum, S. groenlandicum, S. halophilum, S. hitchcockii, S. idahoense, S. langloisii, S. littorale, S. longipes, S. miamiense, S. minus, S. montanum, S. mucronatum, S. nashii, S. pallidum, S. pruinosum, S. radicatum, S. rosulatum, S. sagittiferum, S. sarmentosum, S. septentrionale, S. strictum, S. xerophyllum
Synonyms S. apiculatum, S. apiculatum var. mesochorum, S. corymbosum, S. flexile, S. mucronatum var. atlanticum, S. scoparium, S. tracyi, S. violaceum S. angustifolium var. bellum, S. eastwoodiae, S. greenei, S. hesperium, S. maritimum
Name authority E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 134. (1896) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 277. (1877)
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