blue-eyed grasses
(Sisyrinchium spp.)
Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy
Overview |
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Sisyrinchium is a large genus of flowering plants. It is native to the New World and has been introduced in Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia, India, Iran, and Madagascar. In the United States it occurs in every state including Alaska and Hawaii. In Canada it occurs in every province except Nunavut. In South America it occurs in every country except French Guiana. In Minnesota it has been recorded in every county except Kanabec. There are 211 accepted Sisyrinchium species worldwide, at least 38 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 6 species in Minnesota. |
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Though called blue eyed grass, Sisyrinchium is not a grass, and not all species have blue flowers. Like grasses, it has long, thin leaves and it grows in grasslands. However, it belongs to the Iridaceae family and is closely related to irises. Some species in South America have white, yellow, or purple flowers, or flowers with two colors. In the United States, one species (Sisyrinchium albidum) may have blue or white flowers, and one species (Sisyrinchium californicum) has only yellow flowers. Sisyrinchium is found in open areas, including prairies, open woodlands, and roadsides. |
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Description |
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Sisyrinchium plants grow in clumps. The roots are fibrous. There are underground stems (rhizomes), but these may be obscure when the plants grow in clumps. There are 2 to 6 leaves. They may be all basal, or there may be some basal and some low on the stem, nearly basal. The leaf blades are linear, narrow, and sword-like – stiff and erect. They are usually hairless. There are usually 2 or more flowering stems. The stems are erect, flattened, and usually winged. They may be branched or unbranched. There are 1 to 4 inflorescences per flowering stem. Each inflorescence is a cluster of 2 to 11 flowers, rarely up to 15 flowers, at the end of the stem. The inflorescence is subtended and partially enclosed by a pair of claw-like bracts (spathes). Each flower has 3 petals, 3 petal-like sepals (6 tepals), 3 stamens, and 3 styles. The tepals are spreading or bent backward, and are bluish violet to light blue, white, lavender to pink, magenta, purple, or yellow. The fruit is a globe-shaped seed capsule. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 9/30/2023 | ||||
Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Plantae (green algae and land plants) | ||
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (green plants) | ||
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) | ||
| Superdivision | Embryophyta (land plants) | ||
| Division | Tracheophyta (vascular plants) | ||
| Subdivision | Spermatophytina (seed plants) | ||
| Class | Liliopsida (monocots) | ||
Order |
Asparagales (agaves, orchids, irises, and allies) | ||
Family |
Iridaceae (irises and allies) | ||
| Subfamily | Iridoideae | ||
| Tribe | Sisyrinchieae | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Alaska blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium littorale) annual blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium rosulatum) bigroot blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium radicatum) blue pigroot (Sisyrinchium micranthum) blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium arizonicum) coastal plain blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium fuscatum) dwarf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium minus) eastern blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium atlanticum) Elmer’s blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium elmeri) Funeral Mountain blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium funereum) Greenland blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium groenlandicum) Hitchcock’s blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium hitchcockii) Idaho blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense) jeweled blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium xerophyllum) limestone blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium calciphilum) Miami blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium miamiense) mountain blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium sarmentosum) narrow-leaved blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) Nash’s blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium nashii) needle blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium capillare) needle-tip blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium mucronatum) Nevada blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium halophilum) nodding blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium cernuum) northern blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium septentrionale) pale blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium pallidum) prairie blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium campestre) roadside blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium langloisii) spearbract blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium sagittiferum) spotted blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium pruinosum) stiff blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium demissum) strict blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum) sword-leaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium ensigerum) timberland blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium longipes) western blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) white blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium albidum) wiry blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium biforme) wishbone blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium dichotomum) yellow-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium californicum) |
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Synonyms |
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Hydastylus |
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Common Names |
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blue-eyed grasses |
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Glossary
Rhizome
A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.
Spathe
One or two large bracts that subtend, hood, or sometimes envelope a flower or flower cluster, as with a Jack-in-the-Pulpit.
Wing
A thin, flat, membranous, usually transparent appendage on the margin of a structure.
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Crystal Boyd |
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| Crystal Boyd 6/1/2013 |
Location: Black Dog Preserve |
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Created: 9/30/2023
Last Updated: