The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

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
from FNA
CO; IL; KS; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY; AB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
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)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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
L. alatum, L. allredii, L. arenicola, L. aristatum, L. australe, L. berlandieri, L. bienne, L. carteri, L. catharticum, 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. 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
Synonyms L. rigidum var. compactum
Name authority A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 31: 241. (1904) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 277. (1753)
Web links