Blue-eyed grass

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Blue-eyed Grasses

Western Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Genus:	Sisyrinchium Eckl.

Species

See text

The Blue-eyed Grasses, genus Sisyrinchium, are a substantial group of flowering plants of the iris family, Iridaceae. There are between 70 to 150 species (according to different authors), all native to the New World. Several Eastern U. S. species are threatened or endangered.

Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)

The taxonomy of this genus is rather perplexing and confusing, as several of these species, such as Sisyrinchium angustifolium, form complexes with many variants named as species. More genetic research and cladistic analysis need to performed to sort out the relationships between the species. Some species, notably S. douglasii, have been transferred to the separate genus Olsynium.

The name Sisyrinchium is derived from the Greek words sys (pig) and "rhynchos" (nose), referring to the habit of pigs grubbing the roots.

These are not true grasses, but many species are low-growing, and the leaves of some appear to be grass-like; and they do often grow on grasslands. Many species resemble irises, to which they are more closely related. Most species grow as perennial plants, from a rhizome, though some are short-lived (e.g. S. striatum), and some are annuals (e.g. S. iridifolium).

The flowers are relatively simple and often grow in clusters.

Many species, particularly the South American ones, are not blue, despite the common name. Flower colours in the genus includes white, yellow, and purple, as well as blue, often with a contrasting centre. Of the species in the United States, the Western Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium bellum, is sometimes found with white flowers, while the California Golden-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium californicum, has yellow flowers.

[edit] Species

Sisyrinchium abietum McVaugh
Sisyrinchium acaule
Sisyrinchium acre Mann
Sisyrinchium alatum Hook.
Sisyrinchium albidum Raf. : White Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium altissimum Ten.
Sisyrinchium amoenum E. Bickn.
Sisyrinchium anceps Cav.
Sisyrinchium angustifolium P. Mill. : Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustissimum (B. Robinson & Greenman) Greenman & C. Thompson
Sisyrinchium arenarium Poeppig

White Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium albidum)

Sisyrinchium arizonicum Rothrock: Arizona Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium atlanticum Bickn. : Eastern Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium azureum Philippi
Sisyrinchium bellum S. Wats. : Western Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium bermudianum - Blue-eyed-grass
Sisyrinchium biforme Bickn.: Wiry Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium brachypus (C. Bicknell) J. K. Henry
Sisyrinchium bracteatum Greenman
Sisyrinchium brayii
Sisyrinchium brevipes Baker
Sisyrinchium bushii
Sisyrinchium caespitificum Kraenzl.
Sisyrinchium californicum (Ker-Gawl. ex Sims) Ait. : Golden Blue-eyed Grass, Yellow-eyed-grass
Sisyrinchium campestre Bickn. : Prairie Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium capillare Bickn.
Sisyrinchium cernuum (Bickn.) Kearney : Nodding Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium chilense Hook : Swordleaf Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium chiricanum Woodson
Sisyrinchium claritae
Sisyrinchium commutatum Klatt
Sisyrinchium convolutum Nocca
Sisyrinchium convolutuna Nocca
Sisyrinchium cryptocarpum Rusby
Sisyrinchium cuspidatum Poeppig
Sisyrinchium demissum Greene : Stiff Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium dichotomum Bickn. : Wishbone Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium elmeri Greene : Douglas' Grass Widow
Sisyrinchium ensignum Becker

Golden Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium californicum)

Sisyrinchium exalatum B. Robinson & Greenman
Sisyrinchium farwellii Bickn. : Farwell's Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium fasciculatum Klatt
Sisyrinchium flaccidum
Sisyrinchium flexile
Sisyrinchium foliosum I. M. Johnston
Sisyrinchium funereum Bickn. : Funeral Mountain Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium fuscatum Bickn.: Coastalplain Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium galapagense Ravenna
Sisyrinchium gilberti
Sisyrinchium gramineum Lam.
Sisyrinchium graminifolium Lindley
Sisyrinchium grande Baker
Sisyrinchium groenlandicum Böcher:
Sisyrinchium guatemalense (Baker) Standley & Steyerm
Sisyrinchium halophilum Greene : Nevada Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium hasslerianum Baker
Sisyrinchium hitchcockii D. Henderson : Hitchcock's Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium idahoense Bickn. : Idaho Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium implicatum Bickn. : Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium iridifolioides Henrich & Goldblatt : Spreading Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium iridifolium Kunth
Sisyrinchium jamesonii Baker

Eastern Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium atlanticum)

Sisyrinchium johnstonii Standl.
Sisyrinchium junceum E. Mey. ex Presl.
Sisyrinchium junciforme Poeppig
Sisyrinchium laxum Otto : Veined Yellow-eyed-grass
Sisyrinchium langloisii Greene : Roadside Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium leptocaulon
Sisyrinchium leucanthum Colla
Sisyrinchium lineatum
Sisyrinchium littorale Greene : Alaska Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium longifolium
Sisyrinchium longipes (Bickn.) Kearney & Peebles: Timberland Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium longispathum Conz.
Sisyrinchium luzula Klotzsch ex Klatt
Sisyrinchium macrocarpon Bickn. : Willow Spring Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium macrocarpum Hieron.
Sisyrinchium macrocephalum Graham
Sisyrinchium macrophyllum Greenman
Sisyrinchium mandonii Baker
Sisyrinchium marchio (Vell. Conc.) Steudel
Sisyrinchium maritimum
Sisyrinchium miamiense Bickn. : Miami Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium micranthemum Pers.
Sisyrinchium microbracteatum
Sisyrinchium minus Engelm. & Gray : Dwarf Blue-eyed Grass

Coastalplain Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium fuscatum)

Sisyrinchium minutiflorum Klatt
Sisyrinchium montanum Greene : Strict Blue-eyed Grass, American Blue-eyed-grass
Sisyrinchium mucronatum Michx. : Needletip Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium nanum
Sisyrinchium nashii Bickn. : Nash's Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium pachyrhizum Baker
Sisyrinchium pallidum Cholewa & D. Henderson : Pale Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium palmeri Greenman
Sisyrinchium palmifolium L.
Sisyrinchium palustre Diels
Sisyrinchium paramorum Ravenna
Sisyrinchium parvifolium
Sisyrinchium patagonicum Phil. ex Baker
Sisyrinchium platense I. M. Johnston
Sisyrinchium platyphyllum
Sisyrinchium polycladon B. Robinson & Greenman
Sisyrinchium polycladum
Sisyrinchium porphyreum Kraenzl.
Sisyrinchium praealtum Kranzl.
Sisyrinchium pringlei Robinson & Greenman
Sisyrinchium pusillum Kunth
Sisyrinchium radicatum Bickn. : Bigroot Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium recurvatum

Idaho Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense)

Sisyrinchium restioides Spreng.
Sisyrinchium rigidifolium Baker
Sisyrinchium rosulatum Bickn. : Annual Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium rosutatum
Sisyrinchium sagittiferum Bickn. : Spearbract Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium sarmentosum Suksdorf ex Greene : Mountain Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium scariosum I. M. Johnston
Sisyrinchium schaffneri
Sisyrinchium scirpoideum Poeppig
Sisyrinchium scoparium
Sisyrinchium secundiflorum
Sisyrinchium sellowianum Klatt
Sisyrinchium septentrionale Bickn. : Northern Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium soboliferum
Sisyrinchium striatum Sm. - Pale Yellow-eyed-grass
Sisyrinchium subalpinum Henrich & Goldblatt
Sisyrinchium subcernuum (E. Bickn.) Henrich & Goldblatt

Sisyrinchium striatum

Sisyrinchium tenellum
Sisyrinchium tenuifolium Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.
Sisyrinchium texanum
Sisyrinchium tinctorium Kunth
Sisyrinchium tracyi Bickn.: Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium trinerva C. F. Baker
Sisyrinchium unispathaceum Klatt
Sisyrinchium vaginatum Spreng.
Sisyrinchium violaceum
Sisyrinchium weberbauerianum Kraenzl.
Sisyrinchium wettsteinii Handel-Mazzetti
Sisyrinchium xerophyllum Greene : Jeweled Blue-eyed Grass

[edit] References

Rudall, P. J., A. Y. Kenton, and T. J. Lawrence. 1986 - An anatomical and chromosomal investigation of Sisyrinchium and allied genera. Bot. Gaz. 147: 466–477