THE BULGARIAN FLORA ONLINE

Linum alpinum

Alpine Flax

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Common names

Alpine Flax.

Scientific name

Linum alpinum Jacq.

Conservation status and threats

NOT protected species in Bulgaria.

Description and identification

Alpine flax is a perennial herbaceous plant, 5 to 55 cm tall. Sterile stems 0.8-20 cm long. Flowering stems 5-40 cm long, single or several, straight or often creeping, glabrous. The leaves of sterile stems 2-18 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, linear to almost filamentous, pointed at the apex. The basal stem leaves are often densely arranged at the base, scaly, early deciduous, middle and upper 5-18 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate to linear, pointed at the apex, with one vein, all without stipules. Inflorescences with 2 to 8 flowers, loose, apical. The flowers are heterostyle. The sepals are 5-6 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, reaching the middle of the capsule, the inner ovoid, whitish on the edge, the outer ovoid lanceolate, longer than the inner, narrowly whitish on the edge, all entire, pointed at the top. Petals 10-21 mm long, 7-14 mm wide, 2-3 longer than the sepals, obovate, narrowed at the base, blue to dark blue. The anthers ovoid, yellow. The styles to the base are free, blue; stigmas blue. The capsule is 5-8 mm long, 3-7 mm wide, spherical. Seeds 4.0-4.9 mm long, 2.0-2.5 mm wide, brownish-black, shiny. Flowering June-August^[1].

Habitat

On grassy and stony limestone places in the subalpine and alpine zone^[2].

Distribution in Bulgaria

In the mountains Pirin and Slavyanka, from 1400 to 2900 meters above sea level^[3].

References

[1] Петрова А. 1979. Флора на Н. Р. България, том VІІ.

[2] Петрова А. 1979. Пос. източник.

[3] Петрова А. 1979. Пос. източник.

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