Sisyrinchium septentrionale |
Sisyrinchium ensigerum |
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northern blue-eyed-grass |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, green to pale olive when dry, to 4.3 dm, not glaucous; rhizomes scarcely discernable. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, olive green to yellowish bronze when dry, to 3.2 dm, occasionally glaucous. |
Stems | simple, 0.8–2 mm wide, glabrous, margins usually entire to denticulate apically, similar in color and texture to stem body. |
branched, with 1–2 nodes, 1.9–4.8 mm wide, glabrous, margins variously serrulate, denticulate, or entire, similar in color and texture to stem body; first internode 2.6–19 cm, shorter than leaves; distalmost node with 2–3 erect to arcuate branches. |
Leaf | blades glabrous, bases not persistent in fibrous tufts. |
blades glabrous, bases not persistent in fibrous tufts. |
Inflorescences | 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. |
borne singly; spathes green, obviously wider than supporting branch, glabrous, keels entire to denticulate; outer 15–24.5 mm, 1.4 mm shorter to 2.2 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, margins basally connate 2.5–4.5 mm; inner with keel evenly curved, hyaline margins 0.3–0.6 mm wide, apex broadly acute to obtuse or lobed, 0.8 mm shorter to 0.4 mm longer than green apex. |
Flowers | 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. |
tepals blue to light bluish violet, bases yellow; outer tepals 8–15 mm, apex rounded to occasionally slightly emarginate, aristate; filaments connate ± entirely, stipitate-glandular basally; ovary similar in color to foliage. |
Capsules | beige to light brown, ± globose, 3–5 mm; pedicel spreading to erect. |
light to dark brown, obovoid to ± globose, 3.8–5.3 mm; pedicel erect to spreading. |
Seeds | globose to obconic, lacking obvious depression, 0.5–1.2 mm, rugulose. |
globose to obconic, with slight depression on one side, 1–1.5 mm, rugulose. |
2n | = 32. |
= 32. |
Sisyrinchium septentrionale |
Sisyrinchium ensigerum |
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Phenology | Flowering early–mid summer. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Mesic to dry meadows, stream banks, often in gravelly soil | Sandy roadsides, meadows, prairies |
Elevation | 500–1600 m (1600–5200 ft) | 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) |
Distribution |
WA; AB; BC; NT; SK
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KS; OK; TX; ne Mexico |
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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 371. | FNA vol. 26, p. 360. |
Parent taxa | Iridaceae > Sisyrinchium | Iridaceae > Sisyrinchium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. amoenum, S. colubriferum | |
Name authority | E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 452. (1899) | E. P. Bicknell: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 580. (1901) |
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