Olsynium
# 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 centimetres (4–16 in) tall. Leaves are linear, 4–30 centimetres (1.6–11.8 in) long and 1–3 millimetres (0.04–0.12 in) 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
