Linum compactum |
Linum perenne |
|
---|---|---|
Wyoming flax |
blue flax, blue garden flax, perennial blue flax, perennial flax, western blue flax |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, 5–30 cm, glabrous throughout or puberulent at base. | Herbs, perennial, 20–100 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | erect, branched from base and throughout, bushy. |
ascending or erect, usually unbranched. |
Leaves | alternate, spreading to ascending; stipular glands absent; blade linear, 10–28 × 1–1.5 mm, margins entire or sparsely toothed on distal leaves, not ciliate, apex acute. |
blade linear or linear-lanceolate, 5–20 × 1–3 mm. |
Inflorescences | dense panicles. |
much-branched panicles. |
Pedicels | 2–7 mm. |
spreading, 5–25 mm. |
Flowers | sepals tardily deciduous, lanceolate, 5–9 mm, margins narrowly scarious, conspicuously glandular-toothed, apex acute to acuminate; petals yellow, obovate, 6–11 mm; stamens 4–6 mm; anthers 0.4–0.8 mm; staminodia absent; styles connate nearly to apex, 2.5–4 mm; stigmas capitate. |
heterostylous; inner sepals ovate-lanceolate or ovate, 4.5–5.5 mm, margins glabrous, apex obtuse, outer ones lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 mm, narrower than inner ones, margins glabrous, apex acute or acuminate; petals blue, obovate or obovate-lanceolate, 10–25 mm; stamens 5 mm, anthers 2 mm (long-styled morph) or stamens 6.5 mm, anthers 1.8 mm (short-styled morph); styles distinct, 8 mm (long-styled morph) or 2.5 mm (short-styled morph); stigmas capitate. |
Capsules | ovoid, 3.5–4.4 × 2.7–3.5 mm, apex obtuse, dehiscing into 5, 2-seeded segments, segments persistent on plant, false septa complete, proximal part membranaceous, not terminating in loose fringe, distal part cartilaginous, margins not or only minutely ciliate. |
subglobose, 5–7 mm diam., apex acute to obtuse, segments persistent on plant, margins ciliate or not. |
Seeds | 2.6–3.1 × 1–1.3 mm. |
3–4.2 × 1.7–2 mm. |
2n | = 30. |
= 18. |
Linum compactum |
Linum perenne |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug(–Sep). | Flowering Mar–Aug. |
Habitat | Sagebrush grasslands, ponderosa pine woodlands, meadows, prairies, rocky outcrops. | Disturbed areas. |
Elevation | 600–1800 m. (2000–5900 ft.) | 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.) |
Distribution |
CO; IL; KS; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY; AB; SK
|
AZ; CO; IA; ID; IL; ME; MI; MT; NE; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; UT; VA; WI; WV; BC; ON; YT; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Sonora)]
|
Discussion | Linum compactum is generally low-growing, much branched, and bushy; its flowers are smaller than those of L. rigidum. Linum compactum is found on the high plains in open areas. C. M. Rogers (1984) suggested that it might be closely related to L. australe, which differs in being more slender with more open habit and of pine forest habitats. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Most collections in North America identified as Linum perenne are most likely L. lewisii var. lewisii (D. J. Ockendon 1971; C. M. Rogers 1984). According to Ockendon, L. perenne is often confused with L. austriacum Linnaeus in Europe; its exact native distribution is not known. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 390. | FNA vol. 12, p. 376. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | L. rigidum var. compactum | |
Name authority | A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 31: 241. (1904) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 277. (1753) |
Web links |
|