Description: This native perennial plant is
½–1' tall, forming a a tuft of linear basal leaves. These leaves
have smooth margins and a longitudinal ridge running along their length. Among
the leaves are narrowly winged stalks that individually terminate in a leafy
bract and a small umbel of flowers. The flowers and their buds develop from a
single sessile spathe that has a pair of short bracts, although only the outer
bract may be evident while the flowers are blooming. These bracts of the spathe
are shorter than the leafy bract, and they are often reddish green to yellowish
brown in color. The flower buds are hairy and nod on their pedicels, which
become more erect when the flowers bloom. These flowers are white, light blue,
or blue-violet, and span up to ½" across. They consist of 3 petals and 3
sepals (which look like the petals), and a yellow spike-like structure in the
center that contains the reproductive parts. Toward the center of the flower,
the petals and sepals are yellow; away from the center of the flower, they have
tiny pointed tips. The blooming period occurs from late spring to early summer,
and lasts about 3 weeks. There is no noticeable floral scent. The ovoid seed
capsules become dark as they mature; eventually, they split open at the top
into several sections to release the small dark seeds. These seeds are small
enough to be dispersed a limited distance by gusts of wind. The root system is
coarsely fibrous, and new plants can develop vegetatively from adjacent
offsets.
Cultivation: The preference
is full sun and mesic to dry conditions. The soil can contain significant
amounts of loam, rocky material, or sand. This species of Blue-Eyed Grass is
more drought-resistant than most of the others. Foliar disease is rarely a
problem. This plant can slowly spread by forming larger clumps, but it is not
aggressive.
Range & Habitat:
Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass occurs primarily in western and northern Illinois,
where it is fairly uncommon; in other parts of the state, this plant is rare or
absent. Habitats include mesic to dry black
soil prairies, sand
prairies, loess hill prairies, savannas, limestone glades, sandy meadows in
wooded areas, abandoned fields, and areas along railroads. This plant is
usually found in high quality habitats.
Faunal
Associations: Primarily Green Metallic bees and other Halictid bees
visit the flowers, where they seek nectar or pollen. Some long-tongued bees and
bee flies occasionally visit the flowers, while Syrphid flies feed primarily on
stray pollen. The Wild Turkey and Greater Prairie Chicken eat the seeds or
foliage to a limited extent.
Photographic
Location: The photograph was taken at Prospect Cemetery Prairie in
Ford County, Illinois.
Comments: It
can be difficult to distinguish the different species of Blue-Eyed Grass. The
white form of Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass (as illustrated in the above photograph)
is quite similar to Sisyrinchium albidum (White Blue-Eyed Grass).
Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass produces a single umbel of flowers from a single
sessile spathe near the apex of a flowering stalk, while White Blue-Eyed Grass
has two sessile spathes with separate umbels of flowers. Depending on the stage
of development, from 1-2 bracts of the spathe will be observable while Prairie
Blue-Eyed Grass is blooming, while White Blue-Eyed Grass will have 2-4
observable bracts of the spathe(s). The remaining bracts have not separated
from the taller leafy bract at the apex of the stalk at the time of bloom,
therefore they remain hidden. When Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass has pale blue to
blue-violet flowers, it can be confused with other Sisyrinchium spp.
Generally, Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass has more slender leaves and flowering stalks
than these other species, and its spathes are always sessile (they never
develop on long secondary stalks). The common name for this genus, Blue-Eyed
Grass, is something of a misnomer because the flowers, whether white or blue,
have yellow centers.