Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, but more widespread east of the crest; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho, Nevada, and Utah.
Habitat: Coastal bluffs, prairies, open rocky areas, oak and ponderosa pine woodlands, sagebrush and juniper desert, where moist in early spring.
Flowers: January-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Generalist
Showy grass-like perennial with clumped stems to 30 cm tall; stems flattened.
Narrow (to 3 mm wide), flattened, sheathing at base, lower leaves bract-like.
Showy, 1-few in an umbel subtended by two erect spathe-like leaves; tepals 6, to 2 cm long, reddish-purple to pink (rarely white) with a satiny sheen; stamens 3, filaments fused and slightly enlarged at base; styles 3; ovary wholly inferior. Flowering March to June.
3-celled capsules to 1 cm long.
This species is distinguished by its reddish-purple or pink flowers and filaments connate only on the lower 1/3-1/2 of their length (vs. yellow or blue flowers and filaments connate nearly to their tip in our other species).
One of our earliest blooming springtime wildflowers, and sure to catch your eye with its large cheerful blooms.
Publication: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 27: 237. 1900.
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var. douglasii – purple-eyed grass-widow
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Vancouver Island to California. -
var. inflatum – grass-widow, purple-eyed grass-widow Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; south-central British Columbia to Nevada, east to Idaho and northwestern Utah.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Olsynium douglasii in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Olsynium douglasii checklist entry
OregonFlora: Olsynium douglasii information
E-Flora BC: Olsynium douglasii atlas page
CalPhotos: Olsynium douglasii photos
