Linum virginianum |
Linum perenne |
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Virginia yellow flax, woodland flax, woodland yellow flax |
blue flax, blue garden flax, perennial blue flax, perennial flax, western blue flax |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, 15–80 cm, glabrous. | Herbs, perennial, 20–100 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | erect, branches 1–several from base, unbranched proximal to inflorescence. |
ascending or erect, usually unbranched. |
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 linear or linear-lanceolate, 5–20 × 1–3 mm. |
Inflorescences | corymbs. |
much-branched panicles. |
Pedicels | 1–10 mm. |
spreading, 5–25 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. |
heterostylous; inner sepals ovate-lanceolate or ovate, 4.5–5.5 mm, margins glabrous, apex obtuse, outer ones lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 mm, narrower than inner ones, margins glabrous, apex acute or acuminate; petals blue, obovate or obovate-lanceolate, 10–25 mm; stamens 5 mm, anthers 2 mm (long-styled morph) or stamens 6.5 mm, anthers 1.8 mm (short-styled morph); styles distinct, 8 mm (long-styled morph) or 2.5 mm (short-styled morph); 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. |
subglobose, 5–7 mm diam., apex acute to obtuse, segments persistent on plant, margins ciliate or not. |
Seeds | 1–1.5 × 0.6–0.9 mm. |
3–4.2 × 1.7–2 mm. |
2n | = 36. |
= 18. |
Linum virginianum |
Linum perenne |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Oct. | Flowering Mar–Aug. |
Habitat | Open woods, fields, thickets, roadsides. | Disturbed areas. |
Elevation | 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) | 100–1000 m. (300–3300 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
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AZ; CO; IA; ID; IL; ME; MI; MT; NE; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; UT; VA; WI; WV; BC; ON; YT; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Sonora)]
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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.) |
Most collections in North America identified as Linum perenne are most likely L. lewisii var. lewisii (D. J. Ockendon 1971; C. M. Rogers 1984). According to Ockendon, L. perenne is often confused with L. austriacum Linnaeus in Europe; its exact native distribution is not known. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 385. | FNA vol. 12, p. 376. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Cathartolinum virginianum | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 279. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 277. (1753) |
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