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eastern blue-eyed-grass

roadside blue-eyed grass

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, yellowish to light olive when dry, to 5.7 dm, not glaucous. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, olive to bronze-olive when dry, to 3.2 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.

branched, with 1 or 2 nodes, often purplish, 0.5–2(–2.2) mm wide, glabrous, margins entire to denticulate, similar in color and texture to stem body;

first internode 3.2–7.2 cm, usually shorter than leaves;

distalmost node with 1–3 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 purplish-tinged basally and sometimes along margins, obviously wider than supporting branch, glabrous, keels entire to occasionally denticulate;

outer 12.5–25 mm, 0.9–2.7 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, margins basally connate 2.2–3.8(–5) mm;

inner with keel evenly curved or straight, hyaline margins 0.2–0.4 mm wide, apex acuminate to acute or occasionally obtuse, ending 0–1.5 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 pale blue to bluish violet or white, bases yellow;

outer tepals 6.1–10 mm, apex rounded to truncate, aristate;

filaments connate ± entirely, glabrous or sparsely 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.

medium brown to black, ± globose, 3.1–4.7 mm;

pedicel spreading or ascending.

Seeds

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

globose to obconic, lacking obvious depression, 0.9–1.1 mm, rugulose.

2n

= 16, 32.

= 32.

Sisyrinchium atlanticum

Sisyrinchium langloisii

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Moist meadows and coastal dunes in sandy, peaty, or rich, loamy soil Moist prairies, roadsides, open woods
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 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
AL; AR; GA; LA; MS; OK; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sisyrinchium implicatum E. P. Bicknell probably belongs here; the type (Hilgard s.n., Apr 1858, Calhoun Co., Mississippi, MO) was not seen.

Sisyrinchium langloisii is to be expected in northeastern Mexico.

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

Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 364.
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. idahoense, 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. canbyi, S. flaccidum, S. furcatum
Name authority E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 134. (1896) Greene: Pittonia 4: 32. (1899)
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