E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii E.P. Bicknell (E.P. Bicknell) Douglass M. Hend.
Idaho blue-eyed-grass (Macoun's blue-eyed grass)
Iridaceae (Iris family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jim Riley  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #12720)

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Distribution of Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial tufted herb from a fibrous root; stems simple or sometimes branched, flat, winged, 10-42 cm tall.
Leaves:
Mostly basal, the blades several, linear, 10-30 cm long, (0.5) 2-2.5 (4.5) mm wide, sheathing, the margins entire to fine-toothed, the tips long-pointed; stem leaves 1 or few at the nodes, similar to basal.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 2 to 7 showy, erect to nodding flowers on slender, smooth to slightly glandular, 2- to 2.5-cm long stalks; flowers pale blue to purple or deep violet-purple, of 6 distinct, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate segments, these similar, 1-1.5 (2) cm long, rounded to blunt, abruptly bristle-tipped, the tubes slightly inflated below, 1-2 mm long; bracts 2, unequal, the outer one usually exceeding the flowers; filaments fused about 1/3 their length; anthers (1) 1.3-2 (2.5) mm long, yellow.
Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped to globe-shaped, 4-5.5 (6.5) mm long; seeds numerous, globe-shaped to angled, black, (1) 1.3-1.8 mm wide.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist grassy meadows in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; var. idahoense - rare in S BC; var. macounii - rare on S Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands; var. idahoense S to WY, ID and N CA; var. macounii - S to WA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Sisyrinchium idahoense var. macounii

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 2 299 597
Slope Gradient (%) 0 19 38
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
190 190 190
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
1 2 4
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
2
Modal BEC Zone Class
BWBS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: BWBS(1), CDF(1)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Sisyrinchium angustifolium Mill.
Sisyrinchium macounii E.P. Bicknell

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References