''Sisyrinchium bellum'', the western blue-eyed grass or Californian blue-eyed grass, is the common

blue-eyed grass ''Sisyrinchium'' is a large genus of annual to perennial flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. Native to the New World, the species are known as blue-eyed grasses and, though not true grasses and in varieties with flower colors other than blu ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

in and west of the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

, its range extending south into

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. In parts of its range, western blue-eyed grass has previously been classified as ''Sisyrinchium eastwoodiae'', ''S. greenei'' and ''S. hesperium'', but these names are now considered synonyms. ''Sisyrinchium bellum'' grows as a

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

in open places where there is some moisture, particularly grassy areas, though it can also be found in woodlands and at altitudes up to . Like other species of blue-eyed grasses that are locally dominant, it is generally known simply as "blue-eyed grass" within its natural range.

Description

The stems of ''Sisyrinchium bellum'' can grow as long as , though they are often shorter. Its leaves are grassy and tufted. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are in diameter and purplish-blue, varying somewhat in color from a true blue to a definite purple; occasional white-flowering plants are found. It flowers from March to July with a peak in April. Dried in air, its

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s weigh between 1 and 4 mg. After flowering, it dies to the ground and is dormant over the summer.

Cultivation

''Sisyrinchium bellum'' prefers some moisture and good drainage, but will tolerate summer dryness. It can be propagated by seed, and it self-sows. It can also be propagated by division of its

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s, and the flower stems can be rooted. It is moderately hardy and will tolerate temperatures down to .

Uses

The

Ohlone The Ohlone, formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the ...

used an infusion of the roots and leaves as a cure for

indigestion Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier t ...

and stomach pain, and similar uses are recorded from other Native American peoples.

References

* Harlow, Nora, Jakob, Kristin, and Raiche, Roger (2003) "Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses". University of California Press. .

External links

* *
Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Sisyrinchium bellum''

USDA PLANTS: ''Sisyrinchium bellum''
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q4049557 bellum Flora of California Flora of Oregon Flora of Baja California Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of the California desert regions Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Garden plants of North America Drought-tolerant plants Flora of North America Flora without expected TNC conservation status