Sisyrinchium californicum
Sisyrinchium dichotomum
California golden eyed grass, golden blue-eyed-grass, golden-eyed-grass, yellow-eyed grass
wishbone blue-eyed grass
simple, 2–6.8 mm wide, glabrous, margins entire, similar in color and texture to stem body.
branched, with 2–5 nodes, 2.6–3.5 mm wide, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate near nodes, similar in color and texture to stem body;
first internode 6–12 cm, shorter than leaves;
distalmost node with 2 branches.
blades glabrous, bases not persistent in fibrous tufts.
blades glabrous, bases not persistent in fibrous tufts.
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.
borne singly;
spathes sometimes with purplish tinge, ± equaling supporting branch in width, glabrous, keels slightly denticulate;
outer 14–21.5 mm, 3.3–5.3 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, margins basally connate 2–3.4 mm;
inner with keel straight, hyaline margins to 0.1 mm wide, apex acute to acuminate, ending 0.7–1.7 mm proximal to green apex.
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.
tepals white, bases yellow;
outer tepals 3.3–7.5 mm, apex apparently rounded, aristate;
filaments connate ± entirely, glabrous;
ovary similar in color to foliage.
dark brown to black, broadly fusiform or slightly turbinate, 6–13 mm;
pedicel erect to ascending.
pale to medium brown, ± globose, 2.1–3.4 mm;
pedicel erect.
hemispherical, with shallow depression on flattened side, 0.7–1.5 mm, rugulose.
globose, lacking obvious depression, 1–3 mm, rugulose.
= 32, 34, 36.
= 32.
Sisyrinchium californicum
Sisyrinchium dichotomum
Of conservation concern.
Sisyrinchium dichotomum is endemic to the Piedmont-Blue Ridge escarpment of the Carolinas, known from only seven populations according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The fertility and fecundity of this species are very low. In an average individual, only 63 percent of the pollen is viable, and mature capsules typically have only 1 or 2 seeds (K. L. Hornberger 1987).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
