Flax

(Linum usitatissimum)

 

Color Drawing: O. W. Thome (1885-1905), Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Flax (Linum usitatissimum)

Alien: Native of Europe.

Identification: Flowers pale blue, with 5 petals, petals slightly overlapping. Sepals ovate, pointed at their apices. Flowers solitary. Stem thin, wiry. Leaves narrow, thin, sharp at the apex, with 3 veins, alternate on the stem. Plant 9 to 20 inches in height.

Distribution: Throughout North America.

Habitat: Flax is a cultivated plant escaping into disturbed habitats such as empty lots, fields, roadsides, and the margins of farm areas.

Flowering period: June to September.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum)

Similar Species:

The pale blue flowers and the thin, stiff leaves and wiry stem should identify this species.

Similar Species

No Similar Species