Solenomelus is a genus of South American plants in the Iridaceae family. They are very closely allied to Sisyrinchium with rhizomes, flowers with a perianth tube and a style that is not divided and a single capitate stigma.
Solenomelus pedunculatus syn. Solenomelus chilensis and Sisyrinchium pedunculatum is native to the Chilean Andes. It has grass-like leaves that are greyish green growing in a clump and a succession of short-lived deep yellow flowers on a zip-zag stalk. Pictures of these plants were taken when they were blooming the second year from NARGS seed. The flowers are not erect, but almost falling on the ground. Perhaps where they are planted, there is not enough light. They are hard to photograph as the camera focuses on other things (and they are yellow) as well. I am finding them to be very charming. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller show the foliage and the flowers. During our dry summer in Northern California the leaves die back much like our native Sisyrinchium bellum, but return when it starts raining in the fall.
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