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Anderson, Wynn

Linum vernale

Linum vernale Woot.

Chihuahuan Flax, Chihuahua Flax

Linaceae (Flax Family)

Synonym(s): Cathartolinum vernale, Mesynium vernale

USDA Symbol: LIVE2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A very slender, erect plant with yellow-orange, bowl-shaped flowers, each with a maroon center.

This is a common species in parts of the Chihuahuan Desert. Only the very bases of the petals are joined, and when the corolla falls from the flower, breezes may blow it across the ground like a fragile saucer. It is representative of a number of western yellow-flowered species, most slender and wiry and many without maroon centers in the flowers.

From the Image Gallery

7 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red , Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: NM , TX
Native Distribution: Southern New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Mexico.
Native Habitat: Rocky, limestone soil in deserts.

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Linum vernale in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Linum vernale in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Linum vernale

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-12
Research By: TWC Staff

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