Olsynium douglasii

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Olsynium_douglasii_37688.JPG

|image_caption = Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii in Anacortes Community Forest Lands

|genus = Olsynium

|species = douglasii

|authority = (A.Dietr.) E.P.Bicknell

|synonyms =*Eriphilema grandiflora (Raf.) Herb.

• Olsynium grandiflorum Raf.
• Sisyrinchium douglasii A.Dietr.
• Sisyrinchium grandiflorum Douglas ex Lindl.
• Sisyrinchium inalatum A.Nelson

|synonyms_ref = {{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-326228|title=Olsynium douglasii (A.Dietr.) E.P.Bicknell — The Plant List|website=www.theplantlist.org}}

}}

Olsynium douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the iris family (Iridaceae). Common names include Douglas' olsynium,{{ITIS|id=507253|taxon=Olsynium douglasii}} Douglas' grasswidow,{{PLANTS|id=OLDO|taxon=Olsynium douglasii|access-date=22 July 2015}} grass-widow, blue-eyed grass, purple-eyed-grass, and satin flower,{{cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/1248475/names/common_names|title=Douglas' Blue-eyed Grass - Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Common names - Encyclopedia of Life|website=Encyclopedia of Life}} It is the only species in the genus Olsynium in North America, the remaining 11 species being from South America. It was formerly treated in the related genus Sisyrinchium. Despite the common names, it is not a true grass (Poaceae).

It is a bulb forming herbaceous perennial, growing {{convert|10-40|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall. The leaves are slender, linear, {{convert|10-30|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=8}} long and 1.5–3 mm broad, usually with pale longitudinal stripes. The showy flowers appear in early spring and are bell-shaped to star-shaped, 15–25 mm long, with six purple{{Cite book|last=Taylor|first=Ronald J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/25708726|title=Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary|publisher=Mountain Press Pub. Co|year=1994|isbn=0-87842-280-3|edition=rev.|location=Missoula, MT|pages=72|language=en|oclc=25708726|orig-year=1992}} tepals (sometimes pale or white). The anthers are dark yellow to orange and the filaments bearing them are fused only on the lower part.

It is native to western North America, from southern British Columbia south to northern California, and east to northwest Utah. It grows in open areas usually in full sun.[https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Olsynium%20douglasii]. Washington Burke Museum.

There are two varieties:

• Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii. Coastal western North America. Flower filaments with a narrow base
• Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum. Interior western North America. Flower filaments with an inflated base

This species has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/65445/i-Olsynium-douglasii-i/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Olsynium douglasii | access-date= 14 April 2018}}{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017

| page = 69 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 14 April 2018}}