Linum lewisii
Linum compactum
blue flax, Lewis blue flax, Lewis' flax, Lewis' or wild blue flax, prairie flax, western blue flax, wild blue flax
Wyoming flax
erect to spreading or ascending, branched from near base and in inflorescence.
erect, branched from base and throughout, bushy.
blade linear to linear-lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 5–30 × 0.5–3(–4.5) mm.
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.
open panicles or racemes.
dense panicles.
5–20 mm.
2–7 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 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.
ovoid globose, 4–8 × 5–6 mm, apex acute, segments ± persistent on plant, margins arachnoid-ciliate.
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.
2.5–5 × 1.5–3 mm.
2.6–3.1 × 1–1.3 mm.
= 18.
= 30.
Linum lewisii
Linum compactum
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.)
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.)
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
IL Wildflowers
