Northeast Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Linum striatum Walt.
- Family: Flax (Linaceae)
- Flowering: June-August
- Field Marks: This wild flax differs from the others by its toothless outer sepals, its striate stems, the lower 5-12 pairs of leaves opposite and the rest alternate, and its capsules broader than tall.
- Habitat: Low woods, moist sandy soil, bogs.
- Habit: Perennial herb from thickened rootstocks.
- Stems: Usually several, spreading to upright, somewhat angular, striate, smooth or sometimes sticky, up to 4 feet tall.
- Leaves: Lowest 5-12 pairs opposite, the rest alternate, simple, elliptic, pointed at the tip, tapering to the sessile base, sometimes slightly sticky, up to 1 inch long.
- Flowers: Numerous in short, open panicles, each flower yellow, short-stalked.
- Sepals: 5, green, free from each other, the outer not toothed and up to 1/8 inch long, the inner smaller and glandular-toothed.
- Petals: 5, yellow, free from each other, 1/4-1/3 inch long.
- Stamens: 5.
- Pistils: Ovary superior.
- Fruits: Capsules flattened, broader than high, about 1/10 inch broad.
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