Blue-eyed grass

Blue-eyed Grasses
Western Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Iridaceae Genus: Sisyrinchium
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.

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.

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 their leaves tend to be grass-like; and they do often grow on grasslands. They grow as perennial plants, from a rhizome. The flowers are relatively simple, usually blue or purple, with a contrasting centre from which the group gets its name. The flowers often grow in clusters.

A few species are not blue, despite the generic name. The Western Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium bellum, is sometimes found with white flowers, while the California Golden-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium californicum, has yellow flowers.

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

• 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
• 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
• 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 douglasii A. Dietr.: * Sisyrinchium elmeri Greene : Douglas' Grass Widow
• Sisyrinchium ensignum Becker

• 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

• Sisyrinchium johnstonii Standl.
• Sisyrinchium junceum E. Mey. ex Presl.
• Sisyrinchium junciforme Poeppig
• 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

• Sisyrinchium minutiflorum Klatt
• Sisyrinchium montanum Greene : Strict 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

• 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.
• Sisyrinchium subalpinum Henrich & Goldblatt
• Sisyrinchium subcernuum (E. Bickn.) Henrich & Goldblatt

• 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

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

External link

• Flora of North America treatment of the genus (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=130515)
• Subgeneric Division of Sisyrinchium (http://www.2003.botanyconference.org/engine/search/detail.php?aid=624)

fr:Sisyrinchium