Hesperolinon clevelandii
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae
Allen Springs dwarf-flax, Allen Springs western flax
Sharsmith's western flax, Sharsmith's western or dwarf flax
alternate;
stipular glands very inconspicuous, present at proximal nodes, absent distally;
blade linear or narrowly oblong, 10–13(–20) × 2–2.5 mm, base flat, not clasping, margins without stalked glands.
alternate;
stipular glands present only at proximal nodes;
blade linear, 15–20 × 1–1.5 mm, base flat, not clasping, margins without stalked glands.
cymes monochasial (scorpioid or helicoid), open, branches unequal (main axis obvious), internodes long, flowers widely scattered;
bract margins without prominent glands.
cymes dichasial, open, internodes long, flowers scattered;
bract margins sparsely glandular.
5–25 mm, scarcely longer in fruit, spreading at angles 70–80(–90)°, scarcely bent at apex.
0.5–2 mm near tips of branches, 4–5 mm in fruit, ascending, not bent at apex.
sepals erect or reflexed at tip, lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm, usually equal, sometimes one larger, marginal glands absent or minute, surfaces glabrous;
petals not or slightly spreading at anthesis, yellow, often with reddish or orange streak on midvein, oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, 0.5–2.5(–4) mm, apex notched or erose;
cup yellow, rim with petal attachment protruding prominently in sinus or strongly indented;
stamens included;
filaments 1–2 mm;
anthers yellow, dehisced anthers 0.5–0.8(–1.2) mm;
ovary chambers 6;
styles 3, yellow, 0.5–1(–1.8) mm, included.
sepals erect, not reflexed at tip, oblanceolate, (1.5–)3 mm, equal, margins sparsely glandular, surfaces glabrous;
petals widely spreading, yellow, veins sometimes red-streaked, oblanceolate to obovate, or almost oval, 3–4.5 mm, apex erose;
cup yellow, rim lobed between filaments and petal attachments;
stamens exserted;
filaments 1.5–2.5 mm;
anthers yellow, dehisced anthers 1–1.5 mm;
ovary chambers 6;
styles 3, color not known, 2–3.5 mm, exserted.
= 36.
Hesperolinon clevelandii
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae
Hesperolinon clevelandii occurs in the inner North Coast Ranges from Mendocino to Napa counties and on the Mount Hamilton Range in Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties. It can be distinguished from H. micranthum by its yellow stamens and petals. The flowers in Mount Hamilton populations may be twice as large as those of other populations and might warrant recognition as a subspecies (H. K. Sharsmith 1961).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae is known from Lake and Napa counties in the Hunting Creek drainage, Cedar Roughs, and Butts and Pope Creek canyons (R. O'Donnell 2010). It grows in the vicinity of at least six other species of Hesperolinon: H. bicarpellatum, H. californicum, H. clevelandii, H. disjunctum, H. didymocarpum, and H. spergulinum. The species is distinguished from H. bicarpellatum by having three rather than two carpels and by its larger flowers. Hesperolinon sharsmithiae differs from H. tehamense in lacking the hoary indument and in having narrower petals, and it differs from H. clevelandii in having shorter styles and stamens. In his orginal description, O'Donnell noted that most of the collections annotated as H. serpentinum (a name never validly published) can be assigned to H. sharsmithiae. O’Donnell reported an area on the ridge between Pope Valley and Butts Canyon in which plants were intermediate between H. bicarpellatum and H. sharsmithiae; he noted that over a period of four years individuals of H. sharsmithiae increased in number and those of H. bicarpellatum decreased.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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