Linum lewisii

Linum lewisii (Linum perenne var. lewisii) (Lewis flax, blue flax or prairie flax) is a perennial plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River.[2] It grows on ridges and dry slopes, from sea level in the north up to 11,000 feet (3,400 metres) in the Sierra Nevada.[3][4][5]

Linum lewisii
In Elena Gallegos Picnic Area, Albuquerque, NM
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Linaceae
Genus: Linum
Species:
L. lewisii
Binomial name
Linum lewisii
Synonyms[1]
  • Adenolinum lewisii Kellogg
  • Linum decurrens Kellogg
  • Linum lyallanum Alef.

It is a slender herbaceous plant growing to 80 centimetres (31+1⁄2 inches) tall, with spirally arranged narrow lanceolate leaves 1–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) long. The flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with five petals 1–1.5 cm long.[5][6][7][8]

The plant was named for North American explorer Meriwether Lewis.[9]

Cultivation

Linum lewisii is extremely durable, even aggressive, in favorable conditions, successfully seeding even into established lawns.

  • The inflorescence is a terminal open racime.
    The inflorescence is a terminal open racime.[7]
  • Flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with varying-length styles.
    Flowers are pale blue or lavender to white, often veined in darker blue, with varying-length styles.[6]
  • Leaves are lanceolate, spirally arranged, 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long.
    Leaves are lanceolate, spirally arranged, 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long.[7]

Uses

According to Melvin R. Gilmore, the seeds were gathered by Native Americans and cooked for their flavor and nutritious quality.[9] The seeds contain linamarin which can be removed by cooking.

Some Native Americans used the fibers to make cordage.[10]

References
  1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  2. USDA Plant Profile: Linum lewisii
  3. Sullivan, Steven. K. (2015). "Linum lewisii". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  4. "Linum lewisii". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  5. Norman F. Weeden (1996). A Sierra Nevada Flora (4th ed.). Wilderness Press. ISBN 9780899972046.
  6. Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2014). "Linum lewisii". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  7. Giblin, David, ed. (2015). "Linum lewisii". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  8. "Linum lewisii". Jepson eFlora: Taxon page. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  9. Reiner, Ralph E. (1969). Introducing the Flowering Beauty of Glacier National Park and the Majestic High Rockies. Glacier Park, Inc. p. 98.
  10. Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC 1073035766.
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