Linum virginianum |
Linum rupestre |
|
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Virginia yellow flax, woodland flax, woodland yellow flax |
rock flax |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, 15–80 cm, glabrous. | Herbs, perennial, 20–75 cm, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy proximally. |
Stems | erect, branches 1–several from base, unbranched proximal to inflorescence. |
erect, branched at base and in inflorescence. |
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. |
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. |
Inflorescences | corymbs. |
panicles, with ascending to spreading branches. |
Pedicels | 1–10 mm. |
0–3 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, 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. |
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, 2–3 × 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. |
Seeds | 1–1.5 × 0.6–0.9 mm. |
1.2–1.9 × 0.7–1.1 mm. |
2n | = 36. |
= 36. |
Linum virginianum |
Linum rupestre |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Oct. | Flowering Apr–Aug. |
Habitat | Open woods, fields, thickets, roadsides. | Sandy soils, rocky slopes and ledges, often on limestone. |
Elevation | 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) | 150–1500 m. (500–4900 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
|
NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León); Central America (Guatemala)
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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.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 385. | FNA vol. 12, p. 381. |
Parent taxa | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis | Linaceae > Linum > sect. Linopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Cathartolinum virginianum | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 279. (1753) | Engelmann ex A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 6: 232. (1850) |
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