Linum rupestre
Linum allredii
rock flax
Allred's flax
erect, branched at base and in inflorescence.
stiffly ascending, suffrutescent from woody branching base.
opposite near base or alternate throughout, appressed-ascending;
stipular glands present;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 8–20 × 0.5–2.1 mm, margins entire or with scattered minute marginal glands, not ciliate, apex acute; 1-nerved.
alternate, tightly appressed or ascending to spreading;
stipular glands present throughout, dark;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate, proximal and midstem leaves 3–10(–12) mm, distal leaves 3–7 × 0.6–1 mm, margins of proximal and midstem leaves entire, distal serrulate, teeth usually gland-tipped, not ciliate, apex of proximal and midstem leaves mucronate, distal acuminate-aristate.
panicles, with ascending to spreading branches.
few-flowered panicles;
bracts with irregular scarious margins.
0–3 mm.
2–3 mm, conspicuously articulated.
sepals persistent, lanceolate to ovate, 2.5–5 mm, margins of inner sepals narrowly scarious, conspicuously glandular-toothed, apex acute or acuminate;
petals lemon yellow, oblanceolate or narrowly obcordate, 7–11 mm;
stamens 2–8 mm;
anthers 0.5–1 mm;
staminodia present;
styles distinct, 3–6.5 mm;
stigmas capitate.
sepals deciduous, lanceolate, 4.5–7 mm, margins not scarious, glandular-toothed, apex acute-aristate, glabrous; prominently 1-nerved;
petals pumpkin yellow with a wide, pale, red band distal to a deeply wine red band at base, broadly obovate, 10–13 mm;
stamens 5.5–7 mm;
anthers 1.2–1.6 mm;
staminodia absent;
styles connate nearly to apex, 7–9 mm;
stigmas dark, capitate.
ovoid, 2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, apex sharp-pointed, dehiscing readily into 10, 1-seeded segments, segments falling freely, false septa incomplete, false and true septa margins ciliate.
ovoid, 3.7–4 × 3 mm, apex obtuse, dehiscing into 5, 2-seeded segments, segments persistent on plant, false septa complete, translucent, proximal part membranaceous, not terminating in loose fringe, distal part cartilaginous, margins ciliate.
1.2–1.9 × 0.7–1.1 mm.
2.4–2.7 × 0.9–1.1 mm.
= 36.
Linum rupestre
Linum allredii
Linum rupestre has narrowly funnelform corollas and yellow stamens and styles. The anthers and stigmas are held closely adjacent at the mouth of the corolla tube, below the broad, spreading limbs. The species occurs from southeastern New Mexico and central Texas to Guatemala. It often grows with L. schiedeanum in Texas and Mexico.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Linum allredii is a rare endemic known from seven to 12 occurrences in the Yeso Hills border region of New Mexico and Texas, apparently restricted to gypsum soils. When Sivinski and Howard described this species, they noted that it occurs only on pale, sandy, biologically crusted gypsum distinct from adjacent, darker gypsum. The corollas are deeply bowl-shaped. The filaments and styles are the same pumpkin color as the petals, the stigmas are dark maroon, and the pollen is bright yellow. Linum allredii and L. kingii are the only species in the flora area growing from a woody base.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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