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Blue-eyed grass

Blue-eyed grass

Overview
The Blue-eyed Grasses, genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...

 Sisyrinchium, are a substantial group of flowering plants of the iris family, Iridaceae
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...

. There are between 70 to 150 species (according to different authors), all native to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the non-Afro-Eurasian parts of the Earth, specifically the Americas and possibly Australia. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia,...

. Several Eastern U. S. species are threatened or endangered.

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.
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Encyclopedia
The Blue-eyed Grasses, genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...

 Sisyrinchium, are a substantial group of flowering plants of the iris family, Iridaceae
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...

. There are between 70 to 150 species (according to different authors), all native to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the non-Afro-Eurasian parts of the Earth, specifically the Americas and possibly Australia. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia,...

. Several Eastern U. S. species are threatened or endangered.

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
Cladistics
Cladistics is a form of biological systematics which classifies living organisms on the basis of shared ancestry...

 analysis need to be performed to sort out the relationships between the species. Some species, notably S. douglasii, have been transferred to the separate genus Olsynium
Olsynium
Olsynium is a genus of 12 species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, with 11 of the species native to South America, and the twelfth to western North America. The genus was formerly often included in the related genus Sisyrinchium. The olsynium is known as "Huilmo" in Chile...

.

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 grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns...

es, but many species have the general appearance of grasses, as they are low-growing plants with long, thin leaves. They often grow on grasslands. Many species resemble iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of between 200–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...

es, to which they are more closely related. Most species grow as perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants...

s, from a rhizome
Rhizome
In botany, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...

, though some are short-lived (e.g. S. striatum), and some are annuals
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...

 (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. The genus includes species with blue, white, yellow, and purple petals, often with a contrasting centre. Of the species in the United States, the Western Blue-eyed Grass
Western Blue-eyed Grass
The Western Blue-eyed Grass or Californian Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium bellum, is the common blue-eyed grass of California and Oregon west of the Sierra Nevadas, its range extending south into Baja California...

, Sisyrinchium bellum, is sometimes found with white flowers, while the California Golden-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium californicum, has yellow flowers.

Species

  • Sisyrinchium albidum 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
    Sisyrinchium angustifolium
    Sisyrinchium angustifolium, commonly known as Stout blue-eyed grass or simply blue-eyed grass, is the most common blue-eyed grass of the eastern United States. It is a perennial plant growing in fields, meadows, and other grassy places....

     P. Mill. : Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass
  • Sisyrinchium angustissimum (B. Robinson & Greenman) Greenman & C. Thompson
  • Sisyrinchium arenarium Poeppig
    Eduard Friedrich Poeppig
    Eduard Friedrich Poeppig was a German botanist, zoologist and explorer who was born in Plauen.He studied medicine and natural history at the University of Leipzig, and later worked in Cuba and Pennsylvania...


  • 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

  • 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
    Sisyrinchium idahoense
    Sisyrinchium idahoense, or Idaho blue-eyed grass, is a perennial that grows 6-18 in tall with narrow grass-like leaves and blue-violet, yellow-throated flowers. It is native to the western United States and Canada, typically growing in moist meadows and by stream banks. It is not a true grass, but...

     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 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

  • Sisyrinchium minutiflorum Klatt
  • Sisyrinchium montanum
    Sisyrinchium montanum
    Sisyrinchium montanum, or strict blue-eyed grass, is a grass-like species of plants from the genus Sisyrinchium native to northern North America from Newfoundland west to easternmost Alaska, and south to Pennsylvania in the east, and to New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains. It is very similar to S...

     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
    Sisyrinchium platense
    Sisyrinchium platense is a species of flowering plant normally growing about 20 cm high, that are herbaceous perennials with many thin leaves produced from fleshy roots. Like other species in this genus they have flowers with six petal-like tepals that are bluish violet in color with darker veins,...

     I. M. Johnston
  • Sisyrinchium platyphyllum
  • Sisyrinchium polycladon B. Robinson & Greenman
  • Sisyrinchium polycladum
  • Sisyrinchium porphyreum Kraenzl.
  • Sisyrinchium praealtum Kranzl.
  • Sisyrinchium pringlei Robinson & Greenman
  • Sisyrinchium pruinosum
    Sisyrinchium pruinosum
    The Dotted Blue-eyed Grass, whose binomial nomenclature is Sisyrinchium pruinosum, family name of Iridaceae"Description:Upright or scrawling, clumped, delicate, smooth perennial 3.5-12 in. high; stems slender, usually several, unbranched, flattened, not conspicuously winged as in some species."
     Spotted Blue-eyed Grass
  • 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. - Pale Yellow-eyed-grass
  • 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

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