Linum puberulum
Linum aristatum
desert flax, hairy flax, plains flax
bristle flax, broom-flax
ascending, branched at base, herbaceous throughout.
stiffly spreading-ascending, slender, broomlike, branched throughout.
alternate or sometimes proximal leaves opposite, appressed-ascending;
stipular glands present (conspicuous);
blade linear, 7–20 × 0.6–1.5 mm, margins entire or distal leaves sparsely glandular-toothed, ciliate, apex acute; 1-nerved.
alternate or proximalmost opposite, proximal leaves spreading, distal leaves appressed-ascending;
stipular glands usually present;
blade linear, 5–20 × 0.3–1.1 mm, margins entire, not ciliate, apex acute.
open panicles.
diffuse panicles, branches relatively long, stiffly spreading-ascending.
5–10 mm.
6–30 mm, slender.
sepals falling tardily, lanceolate, 4–7 mm, margins of inner sepals scarious, glandular-toothed, apex acute to acuminate, puberulent at least on midrib;
outer 3-nerved;
petals yellowish orange to salmon, with maroon or reddish base, obcordate or broadly obovate, 9–15 mm;
stamens 4–7 mm;
anthers 0.6–1.4 mm;
staminodia absent;
styles connate nearly to apex, 3–7 mm;
stigmas dark, capitate.
sepals deciduous, outer linear-lanceolate, 5.5–9 mm, apex attenuate, inner somewhat broader, shorter, margins narrowly scarious, glandular-toothed, apex awn-tipped;
petals faintly maroon at base, otherwise yellow to yellow-orange throughout, obovate, 8–12 mm;
stamens 5–7 mm;
anthers 0.7–1.1 mm;
staminodia absent;
styles connate nearly to apex, 4.5–7 mm;
stigmas capitate.
ovoid-ellipsoid, 3.5–4 × 2.5–5 mm, apex obtuse, dehiscing into 5, 2-seeded segments, segments persistent on plant, false septa complete, proximal margin not terminating in loose fringe, distal part cartilaginous, margins ciliate.
narrowly ellipsoid, 3.5–4.5 × 2.5–3 mm, thin-walled, 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 sparsely, ciliate.
1.5–3 × 0.9–1.3 mm.
2.5–3 × 0.8–1 mm.
= 30.
= 30.
Linum puberulum
Linum aristatum
Corollas of Linum puberulum are broadly bowl-shaped. The filaments and styles are pale pink; the stigmas are dark maroon. The pollen is bright yellow; on herbarium specimens, the anthers are golden yellow to orangish yellow, drying darker. In some flowers of L. puberulum, the styles seem to be eccentric. C. M. Rogers (1968) noted that L. puberulum is the only hairy species of Linum in western North America with united styles; its gray indument and complete false septa differentiate it from L. vernale, which is glabrous and has incomplete false septa. Linum puberulum is fairly common in the Rocky Mountain foothills and high plains; it occurs in the mountains in the eastern Mojave Desert.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The corollas of Linum aristatum are broadly funnelform and almost entirely rich yellow to yellow orange with a faint blush of maroon toward the base. The stamens and styles are yellow; the stigmas are greenish yellow. Linum aristatum is highly branched, giving it a bushy look. It can be recognized by narrowly ellipsoidcapsules and long-attenuate sepals.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
