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flax, narrow-leaf flax, pale flax

Virginia yellow flax, woodland flax, woodland yellow flax

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

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
from FNA
CA; OR; PA; BC; Europe; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Argentina, Chile), Pacific Islands (New Zealand)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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
L. alatum, L. allredii, L. arenicola, L. aristatum, L. australe, L. berlandieri, L. carteri, L. catharticum, L. compactum, L. elongatum, L. floridanum, L. grandiflorum, L. harperi, L. hudsonioides, L. imbricatum, L. intercursum, L. kingii, L. lewisii, L. lundellii, L. macrocarpum, L. medium, L. neomexicanum, L. perenne, L. pratense, L. puberulum, L. rigidum, L. rupestre, L. schiedeanum, L. striatum, L. subteres, L. sulcatum, L. trigynum, L. usitatissimum, L. vernale, L. virginianum, L. westii
L. alatum, L. allredii, L. arenicola, L. aristatum, L. australe, L. berlandieri, L. bienne, L. carteri, L. catharticum, L. compactum, L. elongatum, L. floridanum, L. grandiflorum, L. harperi, L. hudsonioides, L. imbricatum, L. intercursum, L. kingii, L. lewisii, L. lundellii, L. macrocarpum, L. medium, L. neomexicanum, L. perenne, L. pratense, L. puberulum, L. rigidum, L. rupestre, L. schiedeanum, L. striatum, L. subteres, L. sulcatum, L. trigynum, L. usitatissimum, L. vernale, L. westii
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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