Sisyrinchium elmeri
Elmer's blue-eyed-grass, Elmer's Blue-Eyed-Grass
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Iridaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sisyrinchium elmeri (Elmer's blue-eyed-grass) is a native California herb in the Iridaceae family, recognized by small stature and small yellow flowers.
Elmer's blue-eyed-grass is a California native perennial found in southern Klamath Ranges, southern California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and San Bernardino Mountains in wet meadows at elevations of 350 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces deep- to orange-yellow flowers with dark brown veins, creating delicate clusters with translucent bract margins. Growing in tufted clusters less than 25 centimeters tall with medium green stems that dry to an olive-green color, it forms dense, compact groupings. Its leaves are minimal, with no leaf-bearing nodes visible on the slender stems less than 2 millimeters wide. The flower bracts feature distinctive translucent margins that extend beyond the tip with two rounded or dissected teeth, giving the plant a unique structural appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; distinguished by small stature and small yellow flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows
Elevation: 350-2700 m
California counties: Mariposa, Tuolumne, Trinity, Fresno, Siskiyou, Plumas, Tulare, Placer, Kern, Butte, Tehama, Yuba, Madera
Bloom period
Sisyrinchium elmeri blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Erodium: Sisyrinchium has iris-like flowers with 6 equal petals; Erodium has 5-petaled geranium flowers.; vs Dipterostemon: Sisyrinchium has flattened winged stems; Dipterostemon has round stems and lily-like flowers.; vs Solanum: Sisyrinchium has 6 petals and grass-like leaves; Solanum has 5 petals and broad leaves.; vs Iris: Sisyrinchium has tiny flowers (<18mm) in clusters; Iris has large showy flowers with distinctive falls.; vs Romulea: Sisyrinchium has flattened winged stems; Romulea has round or 4-angled grooved stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sisyrinchium elmeri native to California?
Yes. Sisyrinchium elmeri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sisyrinchium elmeri bloom?
Sisyrinchium elmeri blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Sisyrinchium elmeri grow?
Sisyrinchium elmeri occurs in Mariposa, Tuolumne, Trinity, Fresno, Siskiyou, Plumas, Tulare, Placer and other counties, at elevations of 350-2700 m.
What plant family does Sisyrinchium elmeri belong to?
Sisyrinchium elmeri is in the Iridaceae family, genus Sisyrinchium.
What habitat does Sisyrinchium elmeri grow in?
Sisyrinchium elmeri grows in Wet meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Sisyrinchium funereum — Death valley blue-eyed-grass
- Sisyrinchium halophilum — Nevada blue-eyed-grass
- Sisyrinchium hitchcockii — Hitchcock's blue-eyed-grass
- Sisyrinchium idahoense — Idaho blue-eyed-grass
- Sisyrinchium idahoense var. idahoense — Idaho blue eyed grass
- Sisyrinchium idahoense var. occidentale — Idaho blue eyed grass
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.