PALE YELLOW-EYED-GRASS

Sisyrinchium striatum

Iris Family [Iridaceae]  

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

status
statusZneophyte		 flower
flower8bicolour		 flower
flower8cream		 inner
inner8yellow		 inner
inner8purple inner8beetroot inner8red		 morph
morph8actino		 petals
petalsZ6		 type
typeZtieredwhorls		 stem
stem8round

3rd July 2010, Yaxley, Suffolk. Photo: © Nick Roche
The tallest 'eyed-grass', up to 75cm high, this specimen but young.


3rd July 2010, Yaxley, Suffolk. Photo: © Nick Roche
The single stem has several small bunches of flowers at each emerging leaflet.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
Petals twisted around in bud like those of some other flowers...


3rd July 2010, Yaxley, Suffolk. Photo: © Nick Roche
A bunch of flowers occupies each nook where a leaf emerges from the main stem. The petals un-twist as the flower opens. Purple stripes adorn the outer surface of the petals. Note the two pale-green triangular bracts beneath each whorl of flowers.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
Tallest when in fruit.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
New fruits forming have six bulges at the top (top left), which disappear as the fruit bulges outwards (top centre).


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
Flared like a euphonium, and with a brass-coloured inner. Most flowers have three anthers, much fewer have five.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
The petals have longitudinal dark stipes, whilst the inner has a golden-yellow glow. In common with all other 'eyed-grasses' the petals have a pointed 'spike' at the tip.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
The tiered-whorled nature of the flowers is more apparent when they are in fruit. Stem apparently square (at least where the flowers are).


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
Petals flared and recurved outwards like other' eyed-grasses'. Both fruits and flowers larger than Blue-eyed-Grass.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
Purple stripes more apparent on external surface of petals, the central one more prominent than the rest. bulbous fruits strangely reminiscent of something.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
Some flowering spikes grow much longer than do others.


2nd Aug 2013, pub garden, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside Photo: © RWD
The sword-like leaves are a glaucous green, and unlike other 'eyed-grasses' are not grass-like in the same very narrow way, but more like those of the Iris (Iridaceae) family.

Some similarities to : Blue-eyed Grass, American Blue-eyed-Grass, Yellow-Eyed-Grass and Veined Yellow-eyed-Grass. [Which are all in the same Sisyrinchium genus - none of which are Grasses].

A member of the Iris Family.

Some similarities to: some Helleborines such as Marsh Helleborine.

More likely to be found in a garden than growing wild. It is non-native to the UK but is to South America where it has a great propensity to spread uncontrollably, but is short-lived in the UK and found on tips and other waste ground as a garden throw-out and has a strong presence in the Home Counties and the Welsh Borders.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature :

No relation to : Grass [a plant with similar name].

  Sisyrinchium striatum  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Iridaceae  

Distribution
family8Iris family8Iridaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Sisyrinchium
Sisyrinchium
(Blue-eyed-grasses)

PALE YELLOW-EYED-GRASS

Sisyrinchium striatum

Iris Family [Iridaceae]  

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