Linum rupestre
Linum pratense
rock flax
blue flax, meadow flax, Norton's flax
erect, branched at base and in inflorescence.
± spreading or ascending, or branches from base prostrate.
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.
blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, 8–20 × 0.7–2.3 mm.
panicles, with ascending to spreading branches.
open panicles or racemes.
0–3 mm.
8–25 mm.
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.
homostylous;
sepals ovate, 3–5 mm, margins glabrous, apex acute;
petals usually blue, rarely white, obovate, 5–14 mm;
stamens 3–5 mm;
anthers 0.4–1.3 mm;
staminodia present;
styles distinct, 1–3 mm;
stigmas 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.
broadly ovate to subglobose, 4–6 mm diam., apex obtuse, segments persistent on plant, margins ciliate.
1.2–1.9 × 0.7–1.1 mm.
3–5 × 1.2–1.6 mm.
= 36.
= 18.
Linum rupestre
Linum pratense
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.)
In a study of pollination in Linum pratense, G. E. Uno (1984) observed that petals dropped soon after anthesis and the persistent sepals quickly moved inward, pressing the dehiscing anthers against the receptive stigmas. Small bees and flies were seen to visit flowers even after the petals fell. Uno noted sepals closing in both L. lewisii and L. rigidum, but in these species the stamens tend to be somewhat shorter than the styles so self-pollination was less likely.
C. M. Rogers (1984) wrote that some plants of Linum pratense intergrade with L. lewisii in areas where their ranges overlap; however, in most of its range, L. pratense is the only blue-flowered Linum, and can be distinguished from the occasional plant of L. bienne or L. usitatissimum by its lack of cilia on the inner sepals and its capitate stigmas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
KS Wildflowers
