Hesperolinon spergulinum |
Hesperolinon breweri |
|
---|---|---|
slender dwarf-flax, slender western flax, slender western or dwarf flax |
Brewer's dwarf-flax, Brewer's western flax |
|
Habit | Herbs, 10–30(–50) cm, glabrous or glabrate; branches from distal nodes, alternate, widely spreading. | Herbs, (5–)20–40(–50) cm, glabrous or glabrate; branches from distal nodes, alternate, virgate (proximal unbranched main axis long in comparison to distal portion). |
Leaves | alternate; stipular glands absent or minute; blade linear or narrowly oblong, 10–35 × 0.5–2(–2.5) mm, base flat, not clasping, margins without stalked glands. |
alternate; stipular glands usually present at all nodes; blade linear, 10–25(–30) × (0.5–)1–1.5 mm, base flat, not clasping, margins eglandular. |
Inflorescences | cymes monochasial (helicoid), open, internodes long, flowers widely scattered; bract margins without prominent glands. |
cymes monochasial, dense, sparingly branched, internodes sometimes all shortened, or long proximally, flowers clustered at inflorescence tips; bract margins eglandular. |
Pedicels | 5–15(–25) mm, 5–25 mm in fruit, pendent in bud, deflexed at 90° angle, slightly bent at apex. |
0.5–3 mm, scarcely longer in fruit, ascending, not bent at apex. |
Flowers | sepals erect, not reflexed at tip, ovate, 1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm, equal, margins minutely gland-toothed, surfaces glabrous; petals widely spreading to reflexed, white or pale pink, usually darker-veined, obovate, 4–7 mm, apex obtuse; cup white, rim petal attachments in indentations; stamens exserted; filaments (3–)4–5(–7) mm; anthers pink to red-purple, white-margined, dehisced anthers 1.2–2 mm; ovary chambers 6; styles 3, white, 3.5–7 mm, exserted. |
sepals erect, narrowly ovate, 3–4 mm, subequal, margins glandular-toothed, surfaces glabrous; petals widely spreading, yellow, often tinged with orange-red, obovate, (4–)6–7(–10) mm, apex obtuse, slightly erose; cup yellow, rim with petal attachments set in notches; stamens exserted; filaments (4–)6–8 mm; anthers yellow, dehisced anthers 1.5–2 mm; ovary chambers 6; styles 3, yellow, (3–)4–6(–8) mm, exserted. |
2n | = 36. |
= 36. |
Hesperolinon spergulinum |
Hesperolinon breweri |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Aug. | Flowering May–Jun. |
Habitat | Chaparral or woodland margins, serpentine soils. | Chaparral or grasslands, usually on serpentine soils, sometimes on nonserpentine soils. |
Elevation | 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.) | 30–700 m. (100–2300 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA
|
CA |
Discussion | Hesperolinon spergulinum occurs in the central and southern North Coast Ranges; there are historical reports from Santa Clara County. The pendent buds, a result of the deflexed and sometimes downward-curved pedicel, and the relatively long styles and stamens are distinctive. The petal appendages are relatively well developed in H. spergulinum; the ligule may be as large as 1 mm and hairy. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Hesperolinon breweri is found in the Vaca Mountains and vicinity in the southern Inner North Coast Ranges in Napa and Solano counties, and in the northeastern San Francisco Bay area on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County. It is similar to H. californicum and can be distinguished by its bright yellow petals tinged with orange and yellow dehisced anthers, filaments, and cup, rather than petals white tinged with pink, and pink or white dehisced anthers. Hesperolinon breweri occurs within or at the edge of chaparral; H. californicum is found in open grassy areas adjacent to chaparral. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 398. | FNA vol. 12, p. 401. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Hesperolinon | Linaceae > Hesperolinon |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Linum spergulinum | Linum breweri |
Name authority | (A. Gray) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 25: 86. (1907) | (A. Gray) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 25: 85. (1907) |
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