Native Plants
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Linum vernale
Linum vernale Woot.
Chihuahuan Flax, Chihuahua Flax
Linaceae (Flax Family)
Synonym(s): Cathartolinum vernale, Mesynium vernale
USDA Symbol: LIVE2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A very slender, erect plant with yellow-orange, bowl-shaped flowers, each with a maroon center.
This is a common species in parts of the Chihuahuan Desert. Only the very bases of the petals are joined, and when the corolla falls from the flower, breezes may blow it across the ground like a fragile saucer. It is representative of a number of western yellow-flowered species, most slender and wiry and many without maroon centers in the flowers.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: AnnualHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Red , Orange , YellowBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: NM , TXNative Distribution: Southern New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Mexico.
Native Habitat: Rocky, limestone soil in deserts.
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Linum vernale in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Linum vernale in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Linum vernale
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-12Research By: TWC Staff