Sisyrinchium montanum Greene
mountain blue-eyed-grass (strict blue-eyed grass)
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
mountain blue-eyed-grass (strict blue-eyed grass)
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Sisyrinchium montanum var. montanum
Species Information
General:
Perennial tufted herb from a fibrous root; stems several, simple or rarely branched, flat, 2-winged, 10-50 cm tall.
Leaves:
Mostly basal, the blades several, linear, 10-30 cm long, 1-3.7 mm wide, sheathing, the margins entire to finely toothed, the tips long-pointed; stem leaves 1 or few at the nodes, similar to basal.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of (1) 2 to 5 (6) showy, erect to nodding flowers on slender, smooth, 2- to 2.5-cm long stalks; flowers blue to more often blue-purple, of 6 distinct, broadly elliptic to oblanceolate segments, these similar, 1-1.2 cm long, rounded to somewhat blunt, notched, abruptly bristle-tipped, the tubes slightly inflated below, 1-2 mm long; bracts 2, unequal, the outer one exceeding the flowers; filaments fused about 1/3 their length; anthers (1) 1.5-1.7 mm long, yellow.
Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped to globe-shaped, (3) 4.5-6 (7) mm long; seeds numerous, globe-shaped to angled, black, 1-1.5 mm wide.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Sisyrinchium montanum
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)
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 |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
998 | 780 | 1460 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
8 | 0 | 45 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
147 | 16 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
4 | 2 | 6 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
38 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(3), BWBS(1), IDF(30), MS(1), PP(1), SWB(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist meadows and streambanks in the steppe and montane zones; frequent in BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; E to AB and S to CO, WY and MT.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Sisyrinchium bermudiana var. crebrum (Fernald) B. Boivin
Sisyrinchium montanum subsp. crebrum (Fernald) Böcher
Sisyrinchium montanum var. montanum Greene