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Plant Identification Guide
Western blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium bellum
Also Known As: S. angustifolium
Plant Family: Iris (Iridaceae)
Did you know? Many people are surprised to learn that Western Blue-eyed
Grass is not actually a grass… it’s an Iris! Why would it be called Blue-eyed Grass,
then? Well, because it grows in grassy habitats, has narrow grass-like leaves and
its blue-purple springtime flowers make the grassland appear as though there
are blue eyes scattered throughout. Watch your step!
Identification Hints
There are 7 species (and a few
varieties of species) of Sisyrinchium
in California. The outer petals of S.
bellum are widest at the tips (wedgeshaped), whereas the petals of S.
idahoense are elliptic-shaped (narrow
and pointed at tips). The dark blueviolet to light blue (or occassionally
white) flowers of S. bellum contrast
with the yellow flowers of S.
californicum. If you are in California’s
Death Valley region (the northeast
portion of the Mojave Desert), consult
a field guide or local naturalist as
you might be looking at the very
similar-looking S. funereum (which
has a translucent bract (modified leaf)
on the outer side of the petal that
extends beyond the petal tip. In S.
bellum, the translucent bract does not
extend beyond the petal tip.)
Plant Description
A tufted perennial wildflower that
is generally less than 1.6 ft (0.5 m)
tall and less than 6 in (15 cm) wide
with flattened elongate leaves and
conspicuous purple flowers.
Leaves: Leaves are dark-green,
flattened, vary in number from few to
many, and attach to the compact stem
at the soil surface. Leaves appear grasslike, even though this plant is not a grass
(it’s an Iris!). The leaf veins are parallel
and run the length of the leaf blade,
which can range greatly in length from
0.4 to 19 in (1 to 50 cm).
Flowers: The flowers can range in color
from dark blue-purple to blue-violet or
pale blue (and occasionally white). There
are six petals per flower, and each petal
has a notched tip (but occasionally a
smooth tip). Once the central column
appears in the center of the flower,
yellow anthers will be found on top. The
pistil (female reproductive parts) inside
the central column) extends above
the anthers when the stigma becomes
receptive. The flowers are arranged in
umbel-like (flat-topped) clusters at stem
tips.
Fruits: The fruit is a capsule with three
internal seed-containing chambers.
Habitat: Found in many plant
communities at elevations below 7874
ft (2400 m) throughout California (and
into western Oregon). Blue-eyed grass is
typically found in open, moist, grassy areas
and woodlands.
Bloom time: Early to mid-spring, generally
March to May but depends on latitude and
elevation (earlier at lower latitudes and
elevations, later at higher latitudes and
elevations).
Compiled by: Brian Haggerty, Susan Mazer and Paul
Alaback. Sources: University of California Press, The
Jepson Manual 1993; USDA PLANTS Database.
Photo courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service
budburst.org
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