Linum africanum (African Flax)

Common Names

Common Names in English:

African Flax

Description

Genus Linum

Erect herbs, rarely shrubby below. Leaves alternate, linear to lanceolate, sessile. Flowers ebracteate , 5-merous, in cymes or racemes . Sepals entire. Petals linear to lanceolate or obovate . Glands 5, adnate to the staminal tube , opposite the petals. Stamens 5, connate at the base ; staminodes present or absent. Carpels 5; ovary 10-locular due to secondary septa; styles 5, free or connate at the base; stigma linear to capitate. Fruit a septicidal capsule.

A genus of about 230 temperate and sub-tropical species, abundant in the Mediterranean region.[1]

Physical Description

Flowers: Bloom Period: June. • Flower Color: yellow

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 12-18" tall.

Biology

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Growth

Culture: Space 6-9" apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Magnoliopsida () - Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
        Subclass: Rosidae () - Takhtajan, 1967
        Superorder: Geranianae () - (Dumortier, 1829) Takhtajan, 1997
        Order: Linales () - Baskerville, 1839
        Family: Linaceae () - A.p. De Candolle Ex S.f. Gray, 1821
        Tribe: Lineae ()
        Genus: Linum () - Linn., Sp. Pl. 277. 1753. Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 135. 1754; - Mariposa Lily
        Specific epithet: africanum - L.
        Botanical name: - Linum africanum

Notes

Publishing author : L. Publication : Sp. Pl. 280.An accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Linum

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 819 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

L. abyssinicum · L. acuminatum · L. acuticarpum · L. adenophorum · L. adenophyllum · L. adpressum · L. adustum · L. aethiopicum · L. affine · L. africanum (African Flax) · L. agrestre · L. alatum (Winged Flax) · L. albanicum · L. albidum · L. album · L. alexeenkoanum · L. alnense · L. alpestre · L. alpinum · L. alpinum gracilius · L. alpinum julicum · L. alpinum pirinicum · L. alpinum subsp. gracilius · L. alpinum subsp. pirinicum · L. alpinum var. pseudomontanum · L. altaicum · L. alterniflorum · L. alternum · L. ambiguum · L. amurense · L. anatolicum · L. andicola · L. andicolum · L. anglicum · L. angustifolium · L. angustifolium mediterraneum · L. anisocalyx · L. annotinum · L. annuum · L. appressum · L. appresum · L. aquilinum · L. aquilinum chamissonis · L. aquilinum macraei · L. aquilinum var. cumingii · L. aquilinum var. obtusifolium · L. aquilinum var. oligophyllum · L. aquilinum var. ramosissimum · L. arboreum (Tree Flax) · L. arboreum var. doerfleri · L. arborium doerfleri · L. arenicola (Sand Flax) · L. aretioides · L. aristatum (Bristle Flax) · L. aristatum subteres · L. aristidis · L. arkansanum · L. armenum · L. aroanicum · L. aroanium · L. arvense · L. ascyrifolium · L. asiaticum · L. asperifolium · L. atricalyx · L. aucheri · L. aureum · L. australe (Southern Flax) · L. australe var. glandulosum Rogers (Southern Flax) · L. australe var. australe (Southern Flax) · L. australe var. gladulosum · L. australe var. glandulosum (Southern Flax) · L. austriacum (Asian Flax) · L. austriacum collinum · L. austriacum marschallianum · L. austriacum mauritanicum · L. austriacum subsp. marschallianum · L. austriacum subsp. mauritanicum · L. austriacum subsp. tommasinii · L. austriacum tommasinii · L. avictum · L. babingtonii · L. bahamense · L. bahamense f. corallicola · L. bahamense var. bracei · L. bahamense var. corallicola · L. baicalense · L. balansae · L. barbulatum · L. barrasi · L. barrasii · L. barsegjanii · L. bartlingii · L. basarabicum · L. bavaricum · L. beauharnaisianum · L. bellidifolium · L. berendieri · L. berlandieri (Berlandier's Yellow Flax) · L. berlandieri Hook. var. berlandieri Hook.

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 23, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.

Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 5842704
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15582084
Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:544307-1
International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 544307-1
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 993579

Footnotes

"Linum". in Flora of Pakistan . Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]