Linum lewisii
Linum lewisii | |
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In Elena Gallegos Picnic Area, Albuquerque, NM | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
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] | |
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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 from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River.[2] 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.[3][4][5]
It is a slender herbaceous plant growing to 80 centimetres (31+1⁄2 inches) tall, with spirally arranged narrow lanceolate leaves 1–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) long. The flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with five petals 1–1.5 cm long.[5][6][7][8]
The plant was named for North American explorer Meriwether Lewis.[9]
Cultivation[edit]
Linum lewisii is extremely durable, even aggressive, in favorable conditions, successfully seeding even into established lawns.
The inflorescence is a terminal open racime.[7]
Flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with varying-length styles.[6]
Leaves are lanceolate, spirally arranged, 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long.[7]
Uses[edit]
According to Melvin R. Gilmore, the seeds were gathered by Native Americans and cooked for their flavor and nutritious quality.[9]
Some Native Americans used the fibers to make cordage.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Norman F. Weeden (1996). A Sierra Nevada Flora (4th ed.). Wilderness Press. ISBN 9780899972046.
- ^ a b 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 c 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 Reiner, Ralph E. (1969). Introducing the Flowering Beauty of Glacier National Park and the Majestic High Rockies. Glacier Park, Inc. p. 98.
- ^ Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC 1073035766.
- "Linum lewisii". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. 141
- Illinois wildflowers: Linum perenne lewisii
- Fine gardening: Linum lewisii
