Olsynium douglasii
| Olsynium douglasii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii in Anacortes Community Forest Lands | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Iridaceae |
| Genus: | Olsynium |
| Species: | O. douglasii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Olsynium douglasii | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Olsynium douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the iris family (Iridaceae). Common names include Douglas' olsynium,[2] Douglas' grasswidow,[3] grass-widow, blue-eyed grass, purple-eyed-grass, and satin flower,[4] It is the only species in the genus Olsynium in North America, the remaining 11 species being from South America. It was formerly treated in the related genus Sisyrinchium. Despite the common names, it is not a true grass (Poaceae).
It is a bulb forming herbaceous perennial, growing 10–40 cm (3.9–15.7 in) tall. The leaves are slender, linear, 10–30 cm (3+7⁄8–11+3⁄4 in) long and 1.5–3 mm broad, usually with pale longitudinal stripes. The showy flowers appear in early spring and are bell-shaped to star-shaped, 15–25 mm long, with six purple[5] tepals (sometimes pale or white). The anthers are dark yellow to orange and the filaments bearing them are fused only on the lower part.
It is native to western North America, from southern British Columbia south to northern California, and east to northwest Utah. It grows in open areas usually in full sun.[6]
There are two varieties:
- Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii. Coastal western North America. Flower filaments with a narrow base
- Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum. Interior western North America. Flower filaments with an inflated base
This species has won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[7][8]
Gallery[edit]
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flower showing partially fused filaments bearing yellow anthers
References[edit]
- ^ "Olsynium douglasii (A.Dietr.) E.P.Bicknell — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org.
- ^ "Olsynium douglasii". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Olsynium douglasii". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- ^ "Douglas' Blue-eyed Grass - Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Common names - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life.
- ^ Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 72. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
- ^ [1]. Washington Burke Museum.
- ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Olsynium douglasii". Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 69. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
External links[edit]
- Flora of North America — map
- Plants of British Columbia
- Jepson Flora Project: Sisyrinchium douglasii
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