Linum puberulum
Linum berlandieri
desert flax, hairy flax, plains flax
Berlandier's yellow flax
ascending, branched at base, herbaceous throughout.
spreading-ascending, branching basally in inflorescence, sometimes 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.
basal leaves opposite, or alternate throughout, spreading;
stipular glands usually present;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 10–25 × 1–4 mm, margins entire or few small teeth on distal leaves, not ciliate, apex acute; mostly 3-nerved.
open panicles.
dense, ± flat-topped panicles.
5–10 mm.
4–20 mm.
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, lanceolate, inner somewhat broader, 6–12 mm, margins of inner sepals densely and delicately glandular-toothed, outer ones scarious, conspicuously and more coarsely but less densely glandular-toothed than inner, apex acute or attenuate;
petals yellow to orange, sometimes reddish below middle, broadly obovate, 11–19 mm;
stamens 4–9 mm;
anthers 1–2 mm;
staminodia absent;
styles connate nearly to apex, 6–9 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.
broadly ovoid to triangular-ovoid, tapering abruptly to flattened base, 3.6–4.7 × 3–4 mm, thick- or thin-walled, apex obtuse, dehiscing into 5, 2-seeded segments, segments blunt or subacute, persistent on plant, false septa complete, proximal part membranaceous, not terminating in loose fringe, distal part cartilaginous, margins not ciliate.
1.5–3 × 0.9–1.3 mm.
2.6–3.4 × 1–1.6 mm.
= 30.
= 30.
Linum puberulum
Linum berlandieri
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.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
The stems of Linum berlandieri are ribbed. The corollas range from pale yellow to deep orange, with darker veins and little color banding to deeply maroon at base. Styles and stamens may be yellow or the distinct portions of the styles somewhat maroon. The capsule walls are opaque, thicker than those in L. rigidum.
C. M. Rogers (1984) noted that some populations of Linum berlandieri in western Texas are morphologically intermediate between the two varieties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Sepals green; stigmas green; capsules relatively thick-walled, opaque. | var. berlandieri |
1. Sepals grayish or purplish; stigmas dark gray; capsules relatively thin-walled, translucent. | var. filifolium |
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