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LINACEAE

FLAX FAMILY

Niall F. McCarten

Annual, perennial herb, shrub
Stem generally erect, branched, glabrous, hairy, or glandular
Leaves generally cauline, alternate, opposite, or whorled, simple, sessile, generally linear to ovate; stipules glandular or 0
Inflorescence: raceme or cyme, axillary, open to dense
Flower generally bisexual, radial, nodding in bud; sepals 4–5, free, glabrous, hairy, or margins gland-toothed; petals 4–5, free, blue, white, yellow, or pink, ephemeral; stamens 4–5, alternate petals, generally appendaged; staminodes alternate stamens or 0; ovary superior, chambers 2–5 but becoming 4–10 by growth of false septa, styles 2–5
Fruit: generally capsule
Genera in family: 13 genera, 300 species: worldwide, especially temp; some cultivated (Linum usitatissimum , flax, linseed; L. bienne, L. grandiflorum , ornamental)
Reference: [Robertson 1971 J Arnold Arbor 52: 649–665]

HESPEROLINON

DWARF FLAX

Annual
Stem 5–50 cm
Leaves generally alternate, generally thread-like to linear, generally flat, generally not clasping
Inflorescence: cyme, generally open; pedicels thread-like, generally ascending to erect
Flower: sepals 5, glabrous, hairy, or margins minutely gland-toothed; petals 5, generally widely spreading, 1–12 mm, yellow or white to rose, each with 3 small scales at inner base; stamens 5; staminodes 0; ovary chambers 4 or 6, styles 2–3, stigmas ± = styles in width
Fruit: surface smooth
Species in genus: 13 species: especially CA; mostly localized, mostly on serpentine
Etymology: (Greek & Latin: western flax)
Reference: [Sharsmith 1961 Univ Calif Publ Bot 32:235–314]
Generally self-pollinated. Segregated from Linum.

Native

H. serpentinum N. McCarten

NAPA DWARF FLAX

Plant 10–30 cm, generally ± glabrous
Stem hairy above nodes
Leaves generally alternate, 10–30 mm, thread-like to linear, flat, not clasping
Inflorescence ± equally forked; pedicels 2–10 mm
Flower: sepals 1–3 mm; petals 2–3.5 mm, yellow; stamens 3–5 mm, anthers yellow; ovary chambers 6, styles 3, 2–4 mm, yellow
Chromosomes: n=17
Ecology: Serpentine, chaparral
Elevation: 50–800 m.
Bioregional distribution: s Inner North Coast Ranges (especially Napa and Lake cos.).

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bioregional map for HESPEROLINON%20serpentinum being generated
 
N.B. The distribution depicted here differs from that given in The Jepson Manual (1993)

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