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eastern blue-eyed-grass

northern blue-eyed-grass

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, yellowish to light olive when dry, to 5.7 dm, not glaucous. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, green to pale olive when dry, to 4.3 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, 0.8–2 mm wide, glabrous, margins usually 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 slightly denticulate;

outer 20–63 mm, 17–42 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, basally connate 1.5–2.5 mm;

inner with keel evenly curved, hyaline margins 0.1–0.3 mm wide, apex acute to acuminate, ending 0.4–2.3 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 pale blue to light bluish violet, rarely white, bases yellow;

outer 8–9.1 mm, apex usually rounded, 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 brown, ± globose, 3–5 mm;

pedicel spreading to erect.

Seeds

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

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

2n

= 16, 32.

= 32.

Sisyrinchium atlanticum

Sisyrinchium septentrionale

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering early–mid summer.
Habitat Moist meadows and coastal dunes in sandy, peaty, or rich, loamy soil Mesic to dry meadows, stream banks, often in gravelly soil
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 500–1600 m (1600–5200 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
WA; AB; BC; NT; SK
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Discussion

Sisyrinchium septentrionale is widespread but apparently not common in western Canada. In central Canada it intergrades with S. mucronatum, to which it appears closely related (see discussion, p. 367). It is confused also with S. montanum but can be distinguished by its very slender, very long outer spathe and nongibbous inner spathe. Fresh material will show lighter blue flowers and outer tepals with rounded apices.

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

Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 371.
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. 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. strictum, S. xerophyllum
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: 452. (1899)
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