Linum bienne |
Linum subteres |
|
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flax, narrow-leaf flax, pale flax |
slenderfoot flax, sprucemont flax, Utah yellow flax |
|
Habit | Herbs, biennial or short-lived perennial (flowering 1st year), 6–60 cm, glabrous. | Herbs, annual or perennial, 15–50 cm, glabrous and glaucous. |
Stems | erect, usually branched from near base and in inflorescence. |
stiffly spreading-ascending, branched at base and distal to middle. |
Leaves | blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 5–25 × 1–1.5 mm. |
alternate or proximalmost opposite, crowded at base, appressed-ascending; stipular glands absent; blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 8–17 × 1.2–2.3 mm, margins entire, not ciliate, apex apiculate. |
Inflorescences | open panicles. |
few-flowered racemes. |
Pedicels | 10–25 mm. |
(5–)20–30(–60) mm. |
Flowers | homostylous; sepals ovate, 4–5.5 mm, margins of inner sepals minutely ciliate, outer glabrous, apex acute to acuminate; petals blue, obovate, 6–10 mm; stamens 4–5 mm; anthers 1–2.5 mm; staminodia present or absent; styles distinct, 2 mm; stigmas linear or clavate. |
sepals persistent, lanceolate to lance-ovate, 4.5–7 mm, margins narrowly scarious, inner sepals conspicuously toothed, outer ones very coarsely glandular-toothed, sometimes sparsely so, apex acuminate or narrowly acute; petals lemon yellow, obovate, 9–15 mm; stamens 5–7 mm; anthers 1–2 mm; staminodia absent; styles connate to within 0.8–3 mm of apex, 5.7–9 mm; stigmas capitate. |
Capsules | broadly ovate to subglobose, 4–6 × 4–6 mm, apex very sharp-pointed, segments ± persistent on plant, margins ciliate. |
ovoid (distinctly longer than broad), 3.5–4.6 × 2.5–3.1 mm, apex sharp-pointed, dehiscing completely into 5, 2-seeded segments (very easily crushed), segments persistent on plant, false septa incomplete, proximal margins terminating in loose fringe, cartilaginous plates at base of segments poorly developed. |
Seeds | 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 mm. |
2.5–3 × 0.9–1.2 mm. |
2n | = 30. |
= 30. |
Linum bienne |
Linum subteres |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Aug. | Flowering May–Aug. |
Habitat | Grasslands, woodlands, disturbed places. | Sandy soils, clay, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper zones. |
Elevation | 0–1900 m. (0–6200 ft.) | 1300–2200 m. (4300–7200 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; OR; PA; BC; Europe; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Argentina, Chile), Pacific Islands (New Zealand)]
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AZ; NM; NV; UT
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Discussion | Linum bienne is thought to be the progenitor of L. usitatissimum (D. J. Ockendon 1971). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Linum subteres is most closely related to L. vernale; it has lemon yellow petals, rather than orange to salmon-colored with a maroon base, and relatively thick, crowded, broad basal leaves (C. M. Rogers 1984). Leaves on the proximal half of each stem are closely spaced and imbricate; distal branches and inflorescence are widely spaced and subtended by closely appressed, relatively long, narrow leaves or bracts, giving the upper part of the plant a leafless look. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 374. | FNA vol. 12, p. 387. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linum | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | L. angustifolium | L. aristatum var. subteres, L. leptopoda |
Name authority | Miller: Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Linum no. 8. (1768) | (Trelease) H. J. P. Winkler: in H. G. A. Engler et al., Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 19a: 116. (1931) |
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