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eastern blue-eyed-grass

stiff blue-eyed grass

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, yellowish to light olive when dry, to 5.7 dm, not glaucous. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, light green to olive when dry, to 5 dm, often somewhat 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 or 2 nodes, 1–2(–2.3) mm wide, glabrous, margins entire to denticulate apically, occasionally white-cartilaginous;

first internode 8–34 cm, usually 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 11–26 mm, 2.5 mm shorter to 5 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, margins basally connate 3.3–8 mm;

inner with keel evenly curved to straight, hyaline margins 0.2–0.4 mm wide, apex acute to acuminate, ending 0.1–1.1 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 dark bluish violet, bases yellow;

outer tepals 6–15 mm, apex rounded to acute or occasionally emarginate, aristate;

filaments connate ± entirely, stipitate-glandular basally;

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.

beige to tan, globose, 4–7.5+ 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, 0.8–2 mm, granular or slightly rugulose.

2n

= 16, 32.

= 32, 64.

Sisyrinchium atlanticum

Sisyrinchium demissum

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering mid spring–early fall.
Habitat Moist meadows and coastal dunes in sandy, peaty, or rich, loamy soil Moist areas, springs, stream banks, meadows, forest seeps
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 500–2900 m (1600–9500 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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; n Mexico
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Previously, we (A. F. Cholewa and D. M. Henderson 1984) misidentified the octoploid northern Utah populations of Sisyrinchium demissum as S. radicatum. New data indicate that these northern Utah populations rightly belong here as a polyploid race of S. demissum. Also see discussion under 18. S. radicatum.

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

Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 365.
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. californicum, S. campestre, S. capillare, S. cernuum, 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. amethystinum, S. demissum var. amethystinum, S. longipedunculatum
Name authority E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 134. (1896) Greene: Pittonia 2: 69. (1890)
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