Linum lewisii
| Linum lewisii | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Elena Gallegos Picnic Area, Albuquerque, NM | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Linaceae |
| Genus: | Linum |
| Species: | L. lewisii
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| Binomial name | |
| Linum lewisii | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
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.
Description
[edit]It is a slender herbaceous plant growing to 80 centimetres (31+1⁄2 inches) tall, with spirally arranged narrow lanceolate leaves 1–3 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄4 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]
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The inflorescence is a terminal open raceme.[4]
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A lavender flower
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The spirally arranged lanceolate leaves
![The inflorescence is a terminal open raceme.[4]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Blue_flax_Linum_lewisii_flower_close.jpg/240px-Blue_flax_Linum_lewisii_flower_close.jpg)
Etymology
[edit]The species was named for North American explorer Meriwether Lewis.[7]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]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
[edit]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]
References
[edit]- ^ "Linum lewisii Pursh". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ a b Norman F. Weeden (1996). A Sierra Nevada Flora (4th ed.). Wilderness Press. ISBN 9780899972046.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Giblin, David, ed. (2015). "Linum lewisii". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
- ^ "Linum lewisii". Jepson eFlora: Taxon page. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Reiner, Ralph E. (1969). Introducing the Flowering Beauty of Glacier National Park and the Majestic High Rockies. Glacier Park, Inc. p. 98.
- ^ USDA Plant Profile: Linum lewisii
- ^ Sullivan, Steven. K. (2015). "Linum lewisii". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
- ^ "Linum lewisii". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
- ^ "Blue flax". Fine Gardening. The Taunton Press, Inc. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
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