Sisyrinchium funereum

Death valley blue-eyed-grass, Death Valley Blue-Eyed-Grass

Family: Iridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Death valley blue-eyed-grass is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the northeastern Death Valley region in strongly alkaline margins of wet areas at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces pale blue flowers with yellow bases, approximately 10 to 15 millimeters long with truncate or notched tips. Growing with tufted pale green stems less than 70 centimeters tall, the plant has distinctive leaf-bearing nodes typically occurring once along the stem. Its leaves are pale green and glaucous, emerging from the tufted base in a compact arrangement. The delicate inflorescence features translucent bracts with inner margins widest at the tip and extended above as two rounded teeth.

Habitat: Generally strongly alkaline margins of wet areas

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: < 800 m

Bioregions: ne DMoj (Death Valley region)

California counties: Inyo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.