Linum virginianum |
Linum harperi |
|
---|---|---|
Virginia yellow flax, woodland flax, woodland yellow flax |
Harper's flax |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, 15–80 cm, glabrous. | Herbs, annual, 25–85 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | erect, branches 1–several from base, unbranched proximal to inflorescence. |
erect to ascending, unbranched proximally, few to many branched distal to middle. |
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. |
proximal 0–13 pairs opposite (often fallen at anthesis), distal alternate, appressed-ascending; stipular glands usually present, very rarely absent; blade of proximal leaves oblanceolate or spatulate, of distal ones linear, 7–30 × 1–3 mm, margins entire, not ciliate, apex acute to subulate; midrib prominent, marginal nerves less conspicuous. |
Inflorescences | corymbs. |
racemelike; bracts glandular-toothed, not ciliate. |
Pedicels | 1–10 mm. |
1.3–4.7 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 persistent, outer sepals oblong, 2.3–3.7 mm, margins not scarious, all very coarsely, irregularly glandular-toothed (inner sepals more closely and finely toothed than outer), apex acute; petals pale yellow, obovate, 5–10 mm; stamen length unknown; anthers 0.3–0.7 mm; staminodia absent; styles connate 0.2–1.8 mm at base, 2–4.5 mm; stigmas capitate. |
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, 2.5–3.3 × 2.1–3 mm, apex rounded to acute, dehiscing freely into 10, sharp-pointed, 1-seeded segments, segments persistent on plant, false septa incomplete, margins prominently ciliate. |
Seeds | 1–1.5 × 0.6–0.9 mm. |
1.6–2.1 × 0.8–1.1 mm. |
2n | = 36. |
= 30. |
Linum virginianum |
Linum harperi |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Oct. | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Open woods, fields, thickets, roadsides. | Dry pine barrens, clearings in pine flatwoods, calcareous soils or limestone outcrops. |
Elevation | 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) | 0–100 m. (0–300 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
|
AL; FL; GA |
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.) |
Dried plants of Linum harperi are dark purple-dotted distally. The species occurs in the center of the Florida panhandle, southwestern Georgia, and central Alabama. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 385. | FNA vol. 12, p. 386. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Cathartolinum virginianum | Cathartolinum harperi, L. sulcatum var. harperi |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 279. (1753) | Small: Fl. S.E. U.S. 663, 1332. (1903) |
Web links |