Linum virginianum |
Linum catharticum |
|
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Virginia yellow flax, woodland flax, woodland yellow flax |
fairy flax, lin purgatif, purging flax, white flax |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, 15–80 cm, glabrous. | Herbs, 8–30 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | erect, branches 1–several from base, unbranched proximal to inflorescence. |
erect, usually unbranched proximal to inflorescence, sometimes branched from decumbent base. |
Leaves | proximal 4–10 pairs opposite, distal alternate, erect to spreading; stipular glands absent; blade of proximal leaves spatulate, central and distal elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, 15–25 × 3–7 mm, margins entire, not ciliate, apex acute to apiculate. |
blade narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate or narrowly obovate or oblong, larger 5–18 × 1.4–3.1 mm, largest at midstem, reduced in size both proximally and distally, apex obtuse to acute. |
Inflorescences | corymbs. |
panicles. |
Pedicels | 1–10 mm. |
6–35 mm. |
Flowers | sepals persistent, lanceolate-ovate, inner shorter, broader, thinner than outer, outer sepals 2–4 mm, margins not scarious, inner sepals usually with a few small, sessile glands along margin distal to middle, rarely eglandular, outer ones entire, apex acute to acuminate; petals yellow, obovate (sometimes notched at apex), 3–5.5 mm; stamens 1.2–3 mm; anthers 0.5–1 mm; staminodia absent; styles distinct, 1–2 mm; stigmas capitate. |
sepals broadly lanceolate to ovate, outer sepals 2–3 mm, inner sepals broader, shorter, margins of all or sometimes only of inner sparsely but conspicuously glandular-toothed, apex acute to acuminate; petals white or whitish, base yellowish, 2–5 mm, obovate; stamens 1 mm, anthers 0.2–0.3 mm; styles 0.5–1 mm. |
Capsules | globose, carpels flattened or ± concave abaxially, 1.3–1.8 × 2–2.5 mm, apex depressed, dehiscing freely into 10, 1-seeded segments, segments falling freely, false septa nearly complete, proximal margins usually sparsely and inconspicuously few-ciliate. |
ovoid, 2–2.5 × 2 mm, fragile and subject to crushing when pressed; segments persistent on plant, septa margins ciliate. |
Seeds | 1–1.5 × 0.6–0.9 mm. |
1–1.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm. |
2n | = 36. |
= 16. |
Linum virginianum |
Linum catharticum |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Oct. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Open woods, fields, thickets, roadsides. | Calcareous or sandy soils, fields, pastures, roadsides. |
Elevation | 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) | 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; WV; ON
|
MA; ME; MI; NH; NY; PA; VT; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; Europe; w Asia; Atlantic Islands (Iceland) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Argentina), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia (Tasmania)]
|
Discussion | Linum virginianum lacks prominent marginal teeth on the inner sepals, thus distinguishing it from L. striatum. It has a less elongate inflorescence and lacks the ribbed branchlets found in L. striatum (C. M. Rogers 1984). The corollas of L. virginianum are nearly rotate; all parts of the flower are yellow except the brownish anthers. Its capsules shatter readily and often are absent on herbarium sheets. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Linum catharticum has small, white, funnelform corollas, yellow anthers, and light green stigmas. It is the only Linum in the flora area with white petals and opposite leaves. The species is widespread in Europe and occurs only sporadically in the northern United States and most of its range in Canada. It may be native in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, where it is well established. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 385. | FNA vol. 12, p. 377. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Cathartolinum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Cathartolinum virginianum | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 279. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 281. (1753) |
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