Perennial Flax - Linum perenne
Favourite Photos
Species Description
Rare and local to Eastern England. Elsewhere a rare casual. Habitat includes: Open, well-drained places on base-rich soils such as lightly grazed grassland, old chalk-pits, earthworks, roadside verges, tracks etc.
Stace 4:
Linum perenne L. (L. anglicum Mill.) - Perennial Flax.
Perennial; stems >1, decumbent to suberect, to 60cm; differs from L. bienne in leaves 1-3.5mm wide; sepals 3.5-6.5mm; petals 13-20mm; capsule 5.5-7.5mm; 2n=36. Native; calcareous grassland; very local in East England from North Essex to County Durham, also Westmorland and Kirkcudbrights. Our plant is the endemic ssp. anglicum (Mill.) Ockendon.
Key:
- Sepals, petals and stamens 5; sepals entire to minutely serrate at apex; capsule with 10 valves; petals much longer than sepals
- Leaves alternate; petals blue or red, sometimes white, >7mm
- Flowers blue, sometimes white; sepals <10mm
- Sepals about 1/2 as long as ripe capsule, at least the 2 inner rounded and apiculate at apex; stigmas capitate, either higher or lower than anthers
Useful Links:
Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora
Kew (as L. anglicum)