Linum compactum |
Linum sulcatum |
|
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Wyoming flax |
grooved flax, grooved yellow flax, lin à rameaux sillonnés |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, 5–30 cm, glabrous throughout or puberulent at base. | Herbs, annual, 25–85 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | erect, branched from base and throughout, bushy. |
erect to ascending, unbranched proximally, few to many branches above middle, conspicuously sulcate. |
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. |
proximal 0–13 pairs opposite (often fallen at anthesis), distal alternate, appressed-ascending; stipular glands usually present, very rarely absent; blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, 7–30 × 1–3 mm, margins entire, distal leaves not ciliate, apex acute to subulate; midrib prominent, marginal nerves less conspicuous. |
Inflorescences | dense panicles. |
open panicles; bracts glandular-toothed, not ciliate. |
Pedicels | 2–7 mm. |
1.3–4.7 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. |
sepals persistent, lanceolate, (3.1–)3.6–5(–7.3) mm, inner sepals more delicate than outer, shorter, margins not scarious, all very conspicuously glandular-toothed, apex acuminate, central and marginal veins conspicuous; petals pale yellow, obovate, 5–10 mm; stamens 3.3–5.7 mm; anthers 0.3–0.7 mm; staminodia absent; styles connate 0.2–1.8 mm at base, 2–4.5 mm; 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. |
globose, 2.5–3.3 × 2.1–3 mm, apex rounded to acute, dehiscing freely into 10, sharp-pointed, 1-seeded segments; segments persistent on plant, false septa incomplete, margins prominently ciliate. |
Seeds | 2.6–3.1 × 1–1.3 mm. |
1.6–2.1 × 0.8–1.1 mm. |
2n | = 30. |
= 30. |
Linum compactum |
Linum sulcatum |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug(–Sep). | Flowering May–Sep. |
Habitat | Sagebrush grasslands, ponderosa pine woodlands, meadows, prairies, rocky outcrops. | Sandy, gravelly fields, calcareous ledges and barrens, diabase barrens, cedar glades, prairies, alvars, sometimes in open woods, interdunal flats. |
Elevation | 600–1800 m. (2000–5900 ft.) | 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) |
Distribution |
CO; IL; KS; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY; AB; SK
|
AL; AR; CT; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; ON; QC
|
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.) |
Linum sulcatum and L. harperi are the only species of the genus in eastern North America with styles united from the base to the middle and all five sepals persistent and with glandular-toothed margins. In L. sulcatum, all parts of the flower are yellow and the corolla is funnelform. Dried plants of L. sulcatum are pale green. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 390. | FNA vol. 12, p. 386. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | L. rigidum var. compactum | Cathartolinum sulcatum |
Name authority | A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 31: 241. (1904) | Riddell: W. J. Med. Phys. Sci., 10. (1836) |
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