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eastern blue-eyed-grass

California golden eyed grass, golden blue-eyed-grass, golden-eyed-grass, yellow-eyed grass

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, yellowish to light olive when dry, to 5.7 dm, not glaucous. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, dark brown to black when dry, to 6.2 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.

simple, 2–6.8 mm wide, glabrous, margins entire, similar in color and texture to stem body.

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 mostly greenish, glabrous, keels entire;

outer 13–53 mm, 2.2–9 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, margins basally connate 3–8 mm;

inner with keel straight to evenly curved, hyaline margins 0.5–1 mm, apex usually rounded, occasionally erose, ending 0.2–1 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 medium to bright yellow with brownish veins;

outer tepals 12–18 mm, apex rounded or acute, aristate;

filaments ± distinct, 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.

dark brown to black, broadly fusiform or slightly turbinate, 6–13 mm;

pedicel erect to ascending.

Seeds

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

hemispherical, with shallow depression on flattened side, 0.7–1.5 mm, rugulose.

2n

= 16, 32.

= 32, 34, 36.

Sisyrinchium atlanticum

Sisyrinchium californicum

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering spring–late summer.
Habitat Moist meadows and coastal dunes in sandy, peaty, or rich, loamy soil Moist areas near coast
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 0–700 m (0–2300 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; WA; BC
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[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 356.
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. bellum, S. biforme, 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 Marica californica, Hydastylus borealis, Hydastylus brachypus, Hydastylus californicus, S. boreale, S. brachypus, S. flavidum, S. lineatum
Name authority E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 134. (1896) (Ker Gawler) W. T. Aiton: in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 4: 135. (1812)
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