Linum rupestre |
Linum puberulum |
|
---|---|---|
rock flax |
desert flax, hairy flax, plains flax |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, 20–75 cm, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy proximally. | Herbs, annual or short-lived perennial, 4–25 cm, densely and finely gray-puberulent throughout. |
Stems | erect, branched at base and in inflorescence. |
ascending, branched at base, herbaceous throughout. |
Leaves | 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 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. |
Inflorescences | panicles, with ascending to spreading branches. |
open panicles. |
Pedicels | 0–3 mm. |
5–10 mm. |
Flowers | 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 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. |
Capsules | 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-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. |
Seeds | 1.2–1.9 × 0.7–1.1 mm. |
1.5–3 × 0.9–1.3 mm. |
2n | = 36. |
= 30. |
Linum rupestre |
Linum puberulum |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Aug. | Flowering May–Oct. |
Habitat | Sandy soils, rocky slopes and ledges, often on limestone. | Dry, open areas, rocky, sandy, limestone, gypsum, or sometimes clay soils. |
Elevation | 150–1500 m. (500–4900 ft.) | 300–2500 m. (1000–8200 ft.) |
Distribution |
NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León); Central America (Guatemala)
|
AZ; CA; CO; NE; NM; NV; TX; UT; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)
|
Discussion | 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.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 381. | FNA vol. 12, p. 388. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | L. rigidum var. puberulum | |
Name authority | Engelmann ex A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 6: 232. (1850) | (Engelmann) A. Heller: Pl. World 1: 22. (1897) |
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