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Coast Range dwarf-flax, Coast Range western flax

Habit Herbs, (3–)20–25(–30) cm, stout, usually hoary, hairs minute, straight, stiff, white, sometimes glabrous except on stems distal to nodes; branches usually from distal 1/3 to 2/3 of main axis, sometimes from base, alternate, widely spreading.
Leaves

alternate;

stipular glands minute or absent;

blade linear, 10–20 × 1–2 mm, base flat, not clasping, margins eglandular or minutely gland-toothed.

Inflorescences

cymes usually monochasial (scorpioid), sometimes dichasial, open, internodes long, flowers widely scattered;

bract margins eglandular or minutely gland-toothed.

Pedicels

1–5(–8) mm, 5–10(–25) mm in fruit, straight in bud, spreading at 75–90° angle, not reflexed or bent at apex.

Flowers

sepals erect, usually spreading at tip, lanceolate, 2–3 mm, equal, marginal glands small, surfaces glabrous or with hoary microscopic puberulence;

petals widely spreading, white or pink to lavendar-pink or rose pink, veins usually pink, usually obovate, sometimes oblanceolate, (3–)4–5(–6) mm, apex notched, sometimes deeply;

cup white, rim with petal attachment in shallow sinus;

stamens exserted;

filaments (2.5–)3–3.5(–4) mm;

anthers usually pink, sometimes deep rose, white-margined, dehisced anthers (0.8–)1.2–1.8(–2) mm;

ovary chambers 6;

styles 3, white, (2.5–)3–4(–5) mm, exserted.

2n

= 34.

Hesperolinon disjunctum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Dry, rocky hillsides in chaparral in Pinus sabiniana belt, serpentine soils.
Elevation 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hesperolinon disjunctum is found in the Inner North Coast Ranges and eastern San Francisco Bay area. Dwarf plants with short internodes and crowded branches sometimes occur intermixed with normal-sized plants. Restricted to serpentine soils, populations of H. disjunction are often distant from each other; Sharsmith noted that morphological disjunction accompanies the geographical disjunction.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 399.
Parent taxa Linaceae > Hesperolinon
Sibling taxa
H. adenophyllum, H. bicarpellatum, H. breweri, H. californicum, H. clevelandii, H. congestum, H. didymocarpum, H. drymarioides, H. micranthum, H. sharsmithiae, H. spergulinum, H. tehamense
Name authority H. Sharsmith: Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 32: 300, figs. 1c, 3, 5i–l, 10e, f, 15c–e, 20. (1961)
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