Linum bienne |
Linum virginianum |
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flax, narrow-leaf flax, pale flax |
Virginia yellow flax, woodland flax, woodland yellow flax |
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Habit | Herbs, biennial or short-lived perennial (flowering 1st year), 6–60 cm, glabrous. | Herbs, perennial, 15–80 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | erect, usually branched from near base and in inflorescence. |
erect, branches 1–several from base, unbranched proximal to inflorescence. |
Leaves | blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 5–25 × 1–1.5 mm. |
proximal 4–10 pairs opposite, distal alternate, erect to spreading; stipular glands absent; blade of proximal leaves spatulate, central and distal elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, 15–25 × 3–7 mm, margins entire, not ciliate, apex acute to apiculate. |
Inflorescences | open panicles. |
corymbs. |
Pedicels | 10–25 mm. |
1–10 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-ovate, inner shorter, broader, thinner than outer, outer sepals 2–4 mm, margins not scarious, inner sepals usually with a few small, sessile glands along margin distal to middle, rarely eglandular, outer ones entire, apex acute to acuminate; petals yellow, obovate (sometimes notched at apex), 3–5.5 mm; stamens 1.2–3 mm; anthers 0.5–1 mm; staminodia absent; styles distinct, 1–2 mm; stigmas capitate. |
Capsules | broadly ovate to subglobose, 4–6 × 4–6 mm, apex very sharp-pointed, segments ± persistent on plant, margins ciliate. |
globose, carpels flattened or ± concave abaxially, 1.3–1.8 × 2–2.5 mm, apex depressed, dehiscing freely into 10, 1-seeded segments, segments falling freely, false septa nearly complete, proximal margins usually sparsely and inconspicuously few-ciliate. |
Seeds | 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 mm. |
1–1.5 × 0.6–0.9 mm. |
2n | = 30. |
= 36. |
Linum bienne |
Linum virginianum |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–Aug. | Flowering Jun–Oct. |
Habitat | Grasslands, woodlands, disturbed places. | Open woods, fields, thickets, roadsides. |
Elevation | 0–1900 m. (0–6200 ft.) | 0–800 m. (0–2600 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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AL; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; WV; ON
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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 virginianum lacks prominent marginal teeth on the inner sepals, thus distinguishing it from L. striatum. It has a less elongate inflorescence and lacks the ribbed branchlets found in L. striatum (C. M. Rogers 1984). The corollas of L. virginianum are nearly rotate; all parts of the flower are yellow except the brownish anthers. Its capsules shatter readily and often are absent on herbarium sheets. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 374. | FNA vol. 12, p. 385. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linum | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | L. angustifolium | Cathartolinum virginianum |
Name authority | Miller: Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Linum no. 8. (1768) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 279. (1753) |
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