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

Olsynium douglasii (A. Dietr.) E.P. Bicknell
satinflower (Douglas' blue-eyed-grass (var. douglasii); Douglas' grasswidow; purple blue-eyed-grass (var. inflatum))
Iridaceae (Iris family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jim Riley  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #15413)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Olsynium douglasii
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Species Information

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PMIRI0T011
PMIRI0T012


General:
Perennial tufted herb from a fibrous root; stems somewhat compressed, simple, 10-30 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves reduced, bractlike, blades lacking or sometimes 1-2 cm long; stem leaves 2 to 4, linear, on the lower 1/2 of stem, sheathing, the blades 10-30 cm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, the tips long-pointed.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of (1) 2 or 3 showy, nodding flowers on slender, flexuous, 3- to 4-cm long stalks; flowers reddish-purple, of 6 distinct oblanceolate to egg-shaped segments, these similar, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 5-nerved, abruptly pointed, the tubes slightly inflated below, 1-2 mm long; bracts 2, unequal, the upper one usually exceeding the flowers; filaments fused about 1/3 to 1/2 their length; anthers 3-7 mm long, yellow.
Fruits:
Capsules, 5-9 mm long; seeds numerous, egg-shaped, brown, 1.5-2.5 mm long.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC

1. Perianth segments dark red-purple; filament tubes only slightly enlarged above the base; flowers commonly 2 per stem; plants of SW BC .....................var. douglasii

1. Perianth segments pale purple; filament tubes with an inflated area just above the base; flowers commonly 3 per stem; plants of SC BC.......................... var. inflatum (Suksd.) Cholewa & Henderson

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Vernally moist rocky bluffs, grassy slopes and Quercus garryana woodlands in the lowland zone (var. douglasii) and sagebrush slopes in the montane zone (var. inflatum); var. douglasii - infrequent on S Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands; var. inflatum - rare in SC BC; var. douglasii - S to N CA; var. inflatum - S to UT, NV and OR.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Olsynium douglasii

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) 31 264 1125
Slope Gradient (%) 0 30 84
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
23 15 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
1 2 6
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
20
Modal BEC Zone Class
CDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: CDF(14), IDF(2)

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 douglasii A. Dietr
Sisyrinchium inalatum A. Nelson

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References