Hesperolinon spergulinum
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae
slender dwarf-flax, slender western flax, slender western or dwarf flax
Sharsmith's western flax, Sharsmith's western or dwarf flax
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 present only at proximal nodes;
blade linear, 15–20 × 1–1.5 mm, base flat, not clasping, margins without stalked glands.
cymes monochasial (helicoid), open, internodes long, flowers widely scattered;
bract margins without prominent glands.
cymes dichasial, open, internodes long, flowers scattered;
bract margins sparsely glandular.
5–15(–25) mm, 5–25 mm in fruit, pendent in bud, deflexed at 90° angle, slightly bent at apex.
0.5–2 mm near tips of branches, 4–5 mm in fruit, ascending, not bent at apex.
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, 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 spergulinum
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae
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 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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