Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

GROOVED FLAX

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Linum sulcatum Riddell

Riley County, Kansas

Annual

Height: 10-32 inches

Family: Linaceae - Flax Family

Flowering Period: May, June, July

Stems:

Erect, branched above middle, rigid, pale green, glabrous, longitudinally grooved.

Leaves:

Alternate, simple, sessile, linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1/2 to 1 inch long, less than 1/8 inch wide, glabrous, small glands usually at bases; margins entire; tips sharp-pointed; upper leaves reduced.

Inflorescences:

Panicles, terminal.

Flowers:

About 1/2 inch wide; sepals 5, lanceolate; margins glandular-toothed; tips pointed; petals 5, less than 1/2 inch long, pale yellow, pubescent inside at bases; stamens 5.

Fruits:

Capsules, spherical to egg-shaped, 10-segmented; seeds 1 per segment, small, elliptic, reddish brown.

Habitat:

Dry sandy soils of prairies and open woodlands.

Distribution:

East 4/5 of Kansas.

Toxicity:

All parts of flax can be toxic, but the leaves and seeds are especially so. Sheep are particularly susceptible.

Comments:

The petals often last only a day, and even a slight disturbance can sometimes cause them to fall. A single plant will usually produce only 1-2 flowers a day.

Grooved flax inflorescence and sepals