Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Sisyrinchium septentrionale
northern blue-eyed grass
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Northwest Territory to northeastern Washington, east to Saskatchewan.

Habitat: Mesic to dry meadows and stream banks.

Flowers: June-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)

Pollination: Bees, flies

Description:
General:

Tufted, perennial herbs, the stems simple, glabrous, 0.8-2 mm. wide and up to 4.3 dm. tall.

Leaves:

Leaves mostly basal, glabrous, narrowly linear, up to 3 dm. long.

Flowers:

Inflorescence borne singly, subtended by a pair of green, glabrous bracts, the outer 20-63 mm. long, 17-42 mm. longer than the inner, united at the base, the tips acute to acuminate; tepals 6, pale blue to light bluish-violet, the bases yellow, 8-9.1 mm. long, oblong, rounded, with a short bristle; stamens 3, the filaments fused to near the tip; ovary inferior.

Fruits:

Capsule 3-celled, beige to light brown, globose, 3-5 mm. long.

Identification Notes:

The extremely long bracts are unique to this species.

Accepted Name:
Sisyrinchium septentrionale E.P. Bicknell
Publication: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 26: 452. 1899.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Sisyrinchium septentrionale in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Sisyrinchium septentrionale checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Sisyrinchium septentrionale information.

E-Flora BC: Sisyrinchium septentrionale atlas page.

CalPhotos: Sisyrinchium septentrionale photos.

USDA Plants: Sisyrinchium septentrionale information.

4 photographs:
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