Linum lewisii

Linum lewisii
In a garden
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Linaceae
Genus:	Linum
Species:	L. lewisii
Binomial name
Linum lewisii Pursh

Linum lewisii (Lewis Flax or Blue flax; syn. Linum perenne var. lewisii), is a perennial flowering plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River. It grows on ridges and dry slopes, from sea level in the north up to 3000 m altitude in the south of the species' range.

It is a slender herbaceous plant growing to 90 cm tall, with spirally arranged narrow lanceolate leaves 1–2 cm long. The flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, 1.5–3 cm diameter, with five petals.

It is commonly grown in gardens in suitable areas, especially in xeriscapes. It is extremely aggressive in favorable conditions, successfully seeding even into established lawns.

Selected species

• Linum alatum - Winged flax
• Linum imbricatum - Tufted flax
• Linum lewisii - Lewis flax, Prairie flax
• "Linum rigidum" - Large-flower yellow flax, Stiffstem flax, Yellow flax
• Linum rupestre - Rock flax
• Linum sulcatum - Grooved flax, Yellow prairie flax

• 
  Bloom detail

References

• Jepson Flora Project: Linum lewisii
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Linum lewisii
• USDA Plant Profile: Linum lewisii
• Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. 141