Linum lewisii
Linum arenicola
blue flax, Lewis blue flax, Lewis' flax, Lewis' or wild blue flax, prairie flax, western blue flax, wild blue flax
sand flax
erect to spreading or ascending, branched from near base and in inflorescence.
erect, usually multiple from base, sometimes 1, unbranched or few-branched proximal to inflorescence, slender, wiry, prominently ribbed in inflorescence.
blade linear to linear-lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 5–30 × 0.5–3(–4.5) mm.
early deciduous, alternate or basalmost opposite, appressed-ascending;
stipular glands present, reddish, becoming dark;
blade linear, 5–15 × 0.5–1.2 mm, margins entire or with scattered minute marginal glands, not ciliate, apex acute; 1-nerved.
open panicles or racemes.
cymes.
5–20 mm.
0–2 mm.
homostylous;
sepals elliptic or elliptic-ovate, 3.5–6 mm, margins glabrous, apex acute;
petals usually blue, sometimes white, base whitish or yellowish, cuneate-obovate, 6–23 mm;
stamens 3–10 mm;
anthers 1–2.2 mm;
staminodia present;
styles distinct, 2–12 mm;
stigmas thickened ellipsoid-capitate.
sepals persistent, lanceolate to ovate or inner ones sometimes obovate, outer sepals 2.5–3.6 mm, margins hyaline, not scarious, all glandular-toothed, apex acuminate;
petals yellow, obovate, 4–6.5 mm;
stamens 3 mm;
anthers 0.3–0.7 mm;
staminodia present or absent;
styles distinct, 2–3 mm;
stigmas capitate.
ovoid globose, 4–8 × 5–6 mm, apex acute, segments ± persistent on plant, margins arachnoid-ciliate.
pyriform, 2–2.5 mm diam., apex pointed, dehiscing readily into 10, 1-seeded segments, segments falling freely, false septa incomplete, margins of septa ciliate.
2.5–5 × 1.5–3 mm.
1–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm.
= 18.
= 36.
Linum lewisii
Linum arenicola
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
Linum lewisii grows in many habitats in western North America from northern Mexico to Alaska east to the Great Plains in the United States and to the west side of Hudson and James bays in Canada; it appears to be less common in the Great Basin. A component of wildflower seed mixes, the species may be expanding its range. Some authors have considered it conspecific with L. perenne, and many collections in herbaria are identified as L. perenne without an indication of variety; they are most likely L. lewisii var. lewisii (D. J. Ockendon 1971; C. M. Rogers 1984). Because of the prevalence of L. bienne, L. perenne, and L. usitatissimum in bird seed and wildflower mixes, it may be that these three non-natives are becoming more common than in the past. Capitate stigmas distinguish L. lewisii from L. bienne and L. usitatissimum, which have linear or clavate stigmas. Distinguishing L. lewisii from L. perenne is more difficult: the size of flower parts in the homostyled L. lewisii varies along elevational and latitudinal gradients, with smaller flowers and flower parts in higher elevations and higher latitudes; except in var. lepagei, the styles are always longer than the stamens. In the heterostyled L. perenne, populations usually include plants in which flowers have stamens much longer than the very short styles (short-styled form) and plants in which flowers have stamens much shorter than the very long styles, up to twice as long as the stamens (long-styled form).
C. A. Kearns and D. W. Inouye (1994) reported that Linum lewisii is facultatively autogamous but tends not to set seed in the absence of pollinators; small bees and flies are the most common pollinators. A. Cronquist et al. (1997b) reported unusual populations of L. lewisii on sandy soil in Nye County, Nevada, in the 40-Mile-Canyon drainage, that had persistent, ascending, pale blue petals with darker veins.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
All parts of Linum arenicola flowers are yellow; the stamens are held close to the styles, with anthers at the same level as stigmas. The staminodia are low, deltoid, and less than 0.5 mm. Linum arenicola is only known from about nine sites in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys in Monroe County. Its habitat of pine rocklands has been almost completely destroyed by urban development and altered fire regimes. J. R. McDill (2009) reported that L. arenicola grouped with L. rupestre (southwestern United States), L. flagellare (Small) H. J. P. Winkler (southcentral Mexico), and L. bahamense Northrop (Bahamas), all perennials with many branches arising from a woody taproot or caudex. Linum arenicola and L. bahamense both occur on calcareous soils, and C. M. Rogers (1984) considered them to be closely related.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Petals mostly white; Hudson and James Bay regions. | var. lepagei |
1. Petals usually blue; w North America. | → 2 |
2. Petals (8–)12–23 mm; styles 6–12 mm. | var. lewisii |
2. Petals 6–13 mm; styles 2–6 mm. | var. alpicola |
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
CalFlora, CalPhotos, 
Flora NW, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
