Linum lewisii

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Linum lewisii
Linum lewisii, blue flax, Albuquerque.JPG
In Elena Gallegos Picnic Area, Albuquerque, NM
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Linaceae
Genus: Linum
Species:
L. lewisii
Binomial name
Linum lewisii
Synonyms [1]
  • Adenolinum lewisiiKellogg
  • Linum decurrensKellogg
  • Linum lyallanumAlef.

Linum lewisii (Linum perenne var. lewisii) (Lewis flax, blue flax or prairie flax) is a perennial plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America.

Contents

Description

It is a slender herbaceous plant growing to 80 centimetres (31+12 inches) tall, with spirally arranged narrow lanceolate leaves 1–3 cm (121+14 in) long. The flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with five petals 1–1.5 cm long and in varying length styles. [2] [3] [4] [5] The flowers open in the morning and fade, dropping their petals by noon on hot, sunny days. [6]

Etymology

The species was named for North American explorer Meriwether Lewis. [7]

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native to western North America from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River. [8] It grows on ridges and dry slopes, from sea level in the north up to 11,000 feet (3,400 metres) in the Sierra Nevada. [9] [10] [2]

Cultivation

Blue flax is a durable wildflower in garden conditions, never becoming overly aggressive towards other plants. Plants are easily grown from seed. [6] Blue flax grows well in lean soils without much organic matter and are healthier in well-drained soils. [11]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Philadelphus lewisii</i> Species of flowering plant

Philadelphus lewisii, the Lewis' mock-orange, mock-orange, Gordon's mockorange, wild mockorange,Indian arrowwood, or syringa, is a deciduous shrub native to western North America, and is the state flower of Idaho.

<i>Dendromecon rigida</i> Species of tree

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<i>Phacelia fremontii</i> Species of plant

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<i>Purshia tridentata</i> Species of shrub

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<i>Linum perenne</i> Species of flowering plant

Linum perenne, the perennial flax, blue flax or lint, is a flowering plant in the family Linaceae, native to Europe, primarily in the Alps and locally in England. It has been introduced into North America, where it can be found on mountain ridges, wooded areas, and in sandy plain habitats of the sagebrush steppe, growing near sagebrush and rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus).

<i>Dicentra formosa</i> Species of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae

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<i>Coreopsis bigelovii</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Polemonium eximium</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Anemone drummondii</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemone drummondii is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, known by the common name Drummond's anemone. It is native to mountains in western North America.

<i>Erythranthe lewisii</i> Species of flowering plant

Erythranthe lewisii is a perennial plant in the family Phrymaceae. It is named in honor of explorer Meriwether Lewis. Together with other species in Erythranthe, it serves as a model system for studying pollinator-based reproductive isolation. It was formerly known as Mimulus lewisii.

<i>Sambucus racemosa</i> Species of plant

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<i>Balsamorhiza sagittata</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Nothocalais alpestris</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Penstemon speciosus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Ribes cereum</i> North American species of currant

Ribes cereum is a species of currant known by the common names wax currant and squaw currant; the pedicellare variety is known as whisky currant. The species is native to western North America.

<i>Calochortus westonii</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Linum pratense</i> Species of flowering plant

Linum pratense, commonly called meadow flax, is a species of flowering plant in the flax family (Linaceae). It is native to the United States, where it is found in the south-central and southwestern regions of the country. Its natural habitat is in dry, open prairies over calcareous or sandy soil. It can be found in both intact and disturbed communities.

References

  1. "Linum lewisii Pursh". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 Norman F. Weeden (1996). A Sierra Nevada Flora (4th ed.). Wilderness Press. ISBN   9780899972046.
  3. Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2014). "Linum lewisii". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  4. 1 2 Giblin, David, ed. (2015). "Linum lewisii". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  5. "Linum lewisii". Jepson eFlora: Taxon page. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  6. 1 2 Barr, Claude A. (1983). Jewels of the plains : wild flowers of the Great Plains grasslands and hills. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 18. ISBN   0-8166-1127-0.
  7. Reiner, Ralph E. (1969). Introducing the Flowering Beauty of Glacier National Park and the Majestic High Rockies. Glacier Park, Inc. p. 98.
  8. USDA Plant Profile: Linum lewisii
  9. Sullivan, Steven. K. (2015). "Linum lewisii". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  10. "Linum lewisii". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  11. "Blue flax". Fine Gardening. The Taunton Press, Inc. Retrieved 30 May 2023.