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eastern blue-eyed-grass

Idaho 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 4.5 dm, not glaucous; rhizomes scarcely discernable.
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, obviously winged, 1–2.5 mm wide, glabrous, margins entire to denticulate apically, 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 usually green, glabrous, keels entire to denticulate;

outer 14–55(–65) mm, 13–16 mm longer than inner, basally connate 2.6–7 mm, tapering evenly towards apex;

inner with keel evenly curved to straight, hyaline margins 0.1–0.5 mm wide, apex acuminate to acute, ending 0.5–2.1 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 light to deep bluish violet or occasionally purple, bases yellow;

outer tepals 8–20 mm, apex rounded, truncate, or 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 light or dark brown, occasionally with purple blotches on apex, ± globose to pyriform, 3–6 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, 0.8–1.8 mm, usually granular.

2n

= 16, 32.

Sisyrinchium atlanticum

Sisyrinchium idahoense

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Moist meadows and coastal dunes in sandy, peaty, or rich, loamy soil
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 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 USDA
w North America
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Discussion

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Stems less than 1.5 mm wide.
→ 2
1. Stems 1.5 mm or more wide.
→ 3
2. Outer tepals 18–20 mm; outer spathe at least 2 times inner; margins of stem and keels of spathes entire.
var. macounii
2. Outer tepals 10–17 mm; outer spathe less than 2 times inner; margins of stem and keels of spathes denticulate.
var. segetum
3. Outer tepals 8–13 mm; inner spathe 12–20 mm; stem 1.5–2 mm wide.
var. occidentale
3. Outer tepals 13–17(–20) mm; inner spathe 20–30 mm; stem 2–2.5 mm wide.
var. idahoense
Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 369.
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. demissum, S. dichotomum, S. elmeri, S. ensigerum, S. funereum, S. fuscatum, S. groenlandicum, S. halophilum, S. hitchcockii, 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
Subordinate taxa
S. idahoense var. idahoense, S. idahoense var. macounii, S. idahoense var. occidentale, S. idahoense var. segetum
Synonyms S. apiculatum, S. apiculatum var. mesochorum, S. corymbosum, S. flexile, S. mucronatum var. atlanticum, S. scoparium, S. tracyi, S. violaceum
Name authority E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 134. (1896) E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 445. (1899)
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