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 Plant Desert Botanical Garden Herbarium, Usage Rights: CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non-Commercial) |  Flower Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) | | | | |
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Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Annual Similar Species: Linum aristatum
General Desc:
Annual herb, from a slender taproot; stems sparsely branched, usually only branching above middle; slightly rough towards base of plant and smooth above; 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens, 5 styles united (appearing to be 1 style), greenish stigma.
Identification notes: Stems sparingly branched, usually branched above middle; lower stems covered with short, rough hairs; sepals lance-like, awn-tipped; flowers yellow to orangish-yellow, 5-petaled; multiple <1/8 inch styles appear to be 1 with several small lobes at top.
Height:
4 to 16 inches
Habitat Description: Found in open dry plains, foothills, hillsides, woodlands and sandy, cindery or loamy soils.
Plant Communities:
Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Montane Conifer Forest
Elevation: 4000 - 9000 feet
Color:
Yellow to orangish-yellow
Shape:
Regular in round clusters
Tubular:
N
Flowering Period:
May - Aug
Description:
At branch tips, sometimes arranged in cymes (round-topped clusters); 5 sepals with thin, light brown margins, lined by tiny glandular teeth; 5 petals, yellow to yellow-orange, notched at tip; 5 stamens, 5 styles, topped with greenish, head-shaped stigma.
Leaf Color:
Green
Leaf Type:
Simple
Leaf Shape:
Narrow
Leaf Margin:
Smooth
Leaf Attachment:
Alternate
Leaves Clasp:
N
Hairs:
Stems
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
Stems stiffly ascending-spreading, few to many-branched, faintly ridged, especially towards the top; leaves alternate, narrow, stalkless, pressed against stem; glands present at base of stipules or throughout, margins smooth.
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: Capsules egg-shaped, 1/8 inch long, relatively thick-walled and with characteristic thickened areas at tip; separating at maturity into 5 2-seeded segments.
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