Linum puberulum
Linum imbricatum
desert flax, hairy flax, plains flax
tuft flax
ascending, branched at base, herbaceous throughout.
spreading to ascending or erect, branched from base.
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.
proximalmost opposite, middle and distal alternate, closely imbricate, proximal leaves spreading-ascending, distal strongly appressed;
stipular glands absent;
blade linear-lanceolate, 5–9 × 0.5–1.2 mm, margins entire, distal leaves sparsely ciliate, apex short-awned;
midrib cartilaginous.
open panicles.
panicles;
bracts ciliate.
5–10 mm.
2–11 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 persistent, ovate, 4.2–6.1 mm, margins broad, purplish, scarious, prominently toothed distally, not glandular-toothed, apex conspicuously awn-shaped;
petals yellow, with or without dark red base, obovate, 6.5–8 mm;
stamens 5 mm;
anthers 0.6–1.2 mm;
staminodia absent;
styles connate to within 0.3–0.8 mm of apex, 2–4.3 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, 2.6–3 × 2.9–3.3 mm, apex rounded, dehiscing into 5, 2-seeded segments, segments persistent on plant, false septa hyaline, with cartilaginous portion conspicuously broader near base, proximal margin appressed-pilose, otherwise glabrous.
1.5–3 × 0.9–1.3 mm.
2–2.6 × 1.1–1.5 mm.
= 30.
= 30.
Linum puberulum
Linum imbricatum
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.)
Linum imbricatum stamens have red filaments and yellow pollen and anthers, a very showy combination against the broadly bowl-shaped, butter yellow corollas often with a broad, wine red base. The stems are terete proximally and strongly ribbed distally; the sepals persist even in fruit. Linum imbricatum occurs in southern Oklahoma, is scattered in Texas, and is known from one report from Acadia Parish, Louisiana.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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WildflowerSearch
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USDA Plants Database
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