Linum

Belongs within: Linaceae.

Linum, the flaxes, is a genus of herbaceous plants found in warmer regions of the world, of which the common flax L. usitatissimum is widely grown as a source of fibre. Linum usitatissimum is an annual species bearing blue or white flowers with elongate stigmas (Hickman 1993).

Characters (Hickman 1993): Annual or perennial. Stem 5–90 cm. Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled, erect, glabrous or hairy; margins entire or gland-toothed. Inflorescence a raceme or cyme. Flower with sepals 5, margins generally translucent; petals 5, 8–25 mm; stamens 5; staminodes 5 or absent; ovary chambers 10, styles 5, free or not, stigmas wider than styles (spheric or more or less elongate) or as wide as styles (more or less linear). Fruit 5–10 mm. Seeds 10, generally gelatinous when wet.

Linum Linnaeus 1753A61
    |--L. alpinumD37
    |--L. austriacumD37
    |--L. bienne [incl. L. angustifolium]H93
    |--L. catharticumC06
    |--L. corymbulosumPT98
    |--L. flavumT08
    |--L. gallicumC06
    |--L. humileC55
    |--L. lewisiiH93
    |    |--L. l. var. lewisiiH93
    |    `--L. l. var. alpicolaH93
    |--L. marginale Cunn. ex Hook. 1848C06
    |--L. monogynum Forst. f. 1786 (see below for synonymy)A61
    |--L. perenneD37
    |--L. puberulumH93
    |--L. strictumPT98
    |    |--L. s. ssp. strictumPT98
    |    `--L. s. ssp. spicatumPT98
    |--L. trigynum Linnaeus 1753PL04
    |--L. uninerveH09
    `--L. usitatissimumC06

Linum monogynum Forst. f. 1786 [incl. L. monogynum var. chathamica Ckn. 1902, L. monogynum var. diffusum Sol. ex Hook. f. 1852, L. monogymnum var grandiflorum Sol. ex Hook. f. 1852]^A61

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[A61] Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand vol. 1. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. R. E. Owen, Government Printer: Wellington (New Zealand).

[C55] Candolle, A. de. 1855. Géographie Botanique Raisonée: Ou exposition des faits principaux et des lois concernant la distribution géographique des plantes de l’époque actuelle vol. 2. Librairie de Victor Masson: Paris.

[C06] Cheeseman, T. F. 1906. Manual of the New Zealand Flora. John Mackay, Government Printer: Wellington.

[D37] Dobzhansky, T. 1937. Genetics and the Origin of Species. Columbia University Press: New York.

[H09] Heltmann, H. 2009. Der Königstein (Piatra Craiului), die Perle der Burzenländer Gebirge. Mauritiana 20 (3): 515–527.

[H93] Hickman, J. C. (ed.) 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press: Berkeley (California).

[PT98] Panitsa, M., & D. Tzanoudakis. 1998. Contribution to the study of the Greek flora: flora and vegetation of the E Aegean islands Agathonisi and Pharmakonisi. Willdenowia 28: 95–116.

[PL04] Pohl, G., & I. Lenski. 2004. Zur Verbreitung und Vergesellschaftung von Pennisetum orientale Rich. in Nordeuböa (Griechenland) (Poaceae, Paniceae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 83 (2): 209–223.

[T08] Turner, F. 1908. Notes and exhibits. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 33: 290–291.