Bigroot Blue Eyed Grass

Sisyrinchium radicatum has been confused with S. demissum: S. L. Welsh and G. Moore (1973) called all branched Sisyrinchium plants in Utah S. radicatum, while S. Goodrich and E. Neese (1986) called such plants S. demissum with S. radicatum a synonym. Sisyrinchium radicatum differs in having white or cartilaginous margins on the stem and a broad apex to the hyaline margin of the inner spathe; it is apparently restricted to the St. George–Las Vegas region, and is to be expected in the adjacent northwest corner of Arizona.

Herbs, perennial, cespitose, pale olive green when dry, to 3.4 dm, rarely glaucous. Stems branched, with 1–2 nodes, 1.7–3.2 mm wide, glabrous, margins white or translucent-cartilaginous; first internode 11–41 cm, longer than leaves; distalmost node with 2 branches. Leaf blades glabrous, bases not persistent in fibrous tufts. Inflorescences borne singly; spathes green, obviously wider than supporting branch, glabrous, keels entire to denticulate; outer 14–18 mm, 3.8 mm shorter to 0.5 mm longer than inner, tapering evenly towards apex, basally connate 4–7 mm; inner with keel evenly curved to straight, hyaline margins 0.5–0.8 mm wide, apex abruptly broadened, ending 0.5–2.3 mm proximal to green apex. Flowers: tepals bluish violet, bases yellow; outer tepals elliptic to oblanceolate, 9–12 mm, apex rounded to slightly emarginate, aristate; filaments connate ± entirely, stipitate-glandular basally; ovary similar in color to foliage. Capsules beige to tan, globose, 4.3–6 mm; pedicel erect to ascending. Seeds globose to obconic, lacking obvious depression, 0.8–1.3 mm, rugulose. 2n = 32.

Nev., Utah.

Flowering late spring--mid summer.

Moist, sometimes alkaline meadows, stream banks, borders of springs; of conservation concern; 600--1300m.