Linum sulcatum — grooved yellow flax
![Plant form: Linum sulcatum. ~ By The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. ~ Copyright © 2024 The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. ~ cniezgoda[at]fieldmuseum.org ~ Field Museum of Natural History - Chicago](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Linaceae/linum-sulcatum-ha-fmnh1.jpg)
![Flowers: Linum sulcatum. ~ By Eleanor Saulys. ~ Copyright © 2024 Eleanor Saulys. ~ sam.saulys[at]comcast.net ~ Connecticut Botanical Society - www.ct-botanical-society.org/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Linaceae/linum-sulcatum-fl-esaulys.jpg)
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Facts
Grooved yellow flax is widespread in North America, from the east coast through the great Plains. It is a common component of prairie communities, but it is rare elsewhere, including in New England, where the number of extant populations has fallen dramatically. It inhabits a range of open, sunny sites on alkaline soils.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges, meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Stamen number
- 5
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 2.5–3.5 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched
- Fused stamen clusters
- there is one cluster of fused stamens
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 2–5
- Number of pistils
-
- 2
- 5
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 5
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
- yellow
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- the petal narrows abruptly at the base
- Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal nectaries
- the petals have at least one nectary
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal number
- 5
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
- 5
- Stamen position relative to petals
- the stamens are lined up with the sepals
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are attached to one another at or near their bases
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Stigma position
- the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style
- Style petal-like
- the styles are not petal-like
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- the capsule has no prominent ribs or wings
- Capsule splitting
- the capsule splits by five main valves, teeth or pores
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 2.5–3.5 mm
- Fruit locules
-
- five
- six or more
- Fruit shape
-
- the fruit is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- the fruit is spherical
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
- Placenta arrangement
-
- the plant has apical placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the top of a simple or compound ovary
- the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has no stalk
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade length
- 10–25 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of a smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Hairs between stem nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- 20–80 cm
- Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- historical (S-rank: SH)
var. sulcatum
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH), #NAME? (code: #NAME?)
- Rhode Island
- historical (S-rank: SH), state historical (code: SH)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
7. Linum sulcatum Riddell var. sulcatum NC
grooved yellow flax. Cathartolinum sulcatum (Riddell) Small; Mesynium sulcatum (Riddell) A. & D. Löve • CT, MA, NH, RI, VT. Dry fields, roadsides, and clearings.