Olsynium

Olsynium is a genus of summer-dormant rhizomatous perennial flowering plants in the iris family Iridaceae, native to sunny hillsides in South America and western North America.

Description
Height is 10 - 40 cm tall. Leaves are linear, 4 - 30 cm long and 1 - 3 mm broad.

Flowers are bell-shaped, with six white, pink, or lilac tepals, and bloom from late winter to spring.

Etymology
The genus name is derived from the Greek words ol, meaning "a little", and syn-, meaning "joined", referring to the stamens.

Taxonomy
The taxon Olsynium was formerly considered as part of the genus Sisyrinchium. The following species are recognised in the genus Olsynium:
 * Olsynium acaule (Klatt) Goldblatt - Peru, Bolivia, northwestern Argentina
 * Olsynium andinum (Phil.) Ravenna - central Chile, Neuquén Province in Argentina
 * Olsynium biflorum (Thunb.) Goldblatt - Santa Cruz + Tierra del Fuego Provinces in southern Argentina
 * Olsynium bodenbenderi (Kurtz) Goldblatt - Mendoza Province in Argentina
 * Olsynium chrysochromum J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores - central Chile
 * Olsynium douglasii (A.Dietr.) E.P.Bicknell - British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, extreme northern California, Idaho, northern Nevada, northwestern Utah
 * Olsynium filifolium (Gaudich.) Goldblatt - southern Argentina, Falkland Islands
 * Olsynium junceum (E.Mey. ex C.Presl) Goldblatt - Bolivia, Argentina, Chile
 * Olsynium lyckholmii (Dusén) Goldblatt - central Chile, southern Argentina
 * Olsynium nigricans (Phil.) R.A.Rodr. & Martic. - Maule Province in Chile
 * Olsynium obscurum (Cav.) Goldblatt - southern Chile, Tierra del Fuego Province in Argentina
 * Olsynium philippii (Klatt) Goldblatt - central Chile
 * Olsynium porphyreum (Kraenzl.) Ravenna - Peru
 * Olsynium scirpoideum (Poepp.) Goldblatt - central + northern Chile, Rio Negro Province in Argentina
 * Olsynium stoloniferum Ravenna - O'Higgins Province in Chile
 * Olsynium trinerve (Baker) R.A.Rodr. & Martic. - Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile
 * Olsynium villosum Ravenna - Santiago Province in Chile