The Facts of the Bracts

May 27, 2025

The Facts on the Bracts

I don’t even own a copy of Hitchcock’s Flora of the Pacific Northwest. (Different Hitchcock but just as scary.) However, now and then I dive down the rabbit hole, determined to figure out the species of a native plant.

I scooped this lovely plant (see photo) out of a crack in the blacktop at the WNPS nursery. If I weed around the nursery beds, often a nice plant falls right into my lap. I was pretty sure it was in the genus Sisyrinchium. But which species? Evidently, we have nine native taxa (six species) in Washington State.

“It’s me, S. septentrionale!”
“Not likely. The Burke Herbarium indicates that you like it hot, over on the east side of the Cascades.”
“But I’m glamorous!”
“No, you’re glabrous.”

Oh! Nice. The Jepson Herbaria from Cal Berkeley has a key. That will make quick work of this. Let’s see. Translucent margins of inner bract widest at tip, extending above tip … Tip of what? The flower? The leaf? No. The bract! Missing a word doesn’t help.

“It’s me, S. californicum.”
“No way; your perianth is yellow.” To be accurate, the perianth would be the calyx (sepals) and corolla (petals). But Sisyrinchchium is confused about these organs so, if you can’t tell if it’s a sepal or a petal, we use tepal. It gets worse.

By now I have looked at a thousand photos. And I have taken near to 40. Looking at photos is just not the best way to ID a plant! (You probably knew that.) So, I marched back to the orchard with a pen and paper and tried to draw it. Oh! Ding. Ding. The Native Plant Society keeps offering these classes on drawing plants. I just figured it was about art! That’s part of it but if you draw the plant you notice many of its characteristics. I get it.

“It’s me S. montanum!”

Hmm. The Jepson key doesn’t have that species. Let’s throw a photo at Pl@ntNet. The person behind the curtain says 14% of the plant nerds think my plant is S. montanum. But iNaturalist hasn’t even heard of S. montanum! Well, I personally have had better luck with Plant Net ID.

“OK montanum what have you got. Violet flower?” “Yes.” “One flower per stem?” “Yes.” “Height up around 50 cm?” “Good!” ”

This is a pretty good match but you look a bit pale. Must be from the sun in Eastern Washington. Step back please. We’ll call you if we need you.” (If we had continued the conversation, I would have to explain “margins denticulate apically”. Whew!)

There are some internet votes for S. bellum. “Bellum. Step forward please.”
Not present but, bellum sent a text, “I am not entering the contest. My flower is the highest point of my plant. Even you would realize that I am not the one. Gotta get back to work. We are pushing the seed pods out.”

“It’s me, S. angustifolium!”
Hmm. There is a vote for S angustifolium on the Pl@ntNet website. But there is no mention of this species on the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) website.
“I see that there is a cultivar of Sisyrinchium angustifolium named Lucerne. It blooms longer and has notably larger flowers. Could you be sneaking around as a cultivar?
“Frankly, I am not sure who I am.”

Good grief. And, Oregon Flora notes that S. angustifolium is a synonym of S. bellum! Huh?

This is too much. Those of you who are interested in this sport had better start young. Be sure to take Latin in high school and get your Hitchcock book shortly thereafter.

Ojo! Don’t take anything written above as the truth. However, if you are able to ascertain the species of my _______ eyed-grass do let me know!

Ruth