Hesperolinon
Encyclopedia
Hesperolinon is a genus
in the family Linaceae
, whose common genus name is western flax, in reference to their distribution along the west coast of North America. There are 13 known species within this genus of wildflower
s, most of which are limited to serpentine soil
habitat
s within California
, USA. These annual plants are thought to be mostly self-pollinating.
s are somewhat thread-like and ascending. The flower
has five sepal
s, whose margins may be minutely gland-toothed. Five petal
s are widely spreading between one and twelve millimeters in dimension. These yellow, white or rose colored petals each manifest three minute scales at the inner base. There are five stamen
s and four to six ovary
chambers; styles number two to three. Fruit
s have a smooth surface exterior.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family Linaceae
Linaceae
The Linaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family is cosmopolitan, and includes approximately 250 species. There are 14 genera, classified into two subfamilies: Linoideae and Hugonioideae ....
, whose common genus name is western flax, in reference to their distribution along the west coast of North America. There are 13 known species within this genus of wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
s, most of which are limited to serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s within California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA. These annual plants are thought to be mostly self-pollinating.
Description
Stems vary between five and fifty centimeters in length, with thread-like to linear leaves generally alternate: the leaves are typically not planar and not clasping. Cymes are characteristically open and pedicelPedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
s are somewhat thread-like and ascending. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
has five sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s, whose margins may be minutely gland-toothed. Five petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s are widely spreading between one and twelve millimeters in dimension. These yellow, white or rose colored petals each manifest three minute scales at the inner base. There are five stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and four to six ovary
Ovary (plants)
In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
chambers; styles number two to three. Fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s have a smooth surface exterior.
Species
- Hesperolinon adenophyllumHesperolinon adenophyllumHesperolinon adenophyllum is a rare species of flowering plant in the flax family known by the common names glandular dwarf flax and glandular western flax. It is endemic to California, where most known occurrences have been recorded in Lake and Mendocino Counties. It is generally found in...
- glandular western flax - Hesperolinon bicarpellatum - bicarpellate western flax
- Hesperolinon breweriHesperolinon breweriHesperolinon breweri is a rare species of flowering plant in the flax family known by the common names Brewer's dwarf flax and Brewer's western flax. It is endemic to California, where it is known from three counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is found in chaparral ecosystems, often on...
- Brewer's western flax - Hesperolinon californicumHesperolinon californicumHesperolinon californicum is a species of flowering plant in the flax family known by the common name California dwarf flax. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the coastal mountains and hills surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area and some of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is...
- California western flax - Hesperolinon clevelandii - Allen Springs dwarf flax
- Hesperolinon congestumHesperolinon congestumHesperolinon congestum, or Marin Dwarf Flax, is an annual herb, which is known to occur only in San Mateo, San Francisco and Marin County, California, USA. This plant occurs chiefly on serpentine soils, especially in dry native bunch grasses, chaparral or other grasslands at elevations less than...
- Marin western flax - Hesperolinon didymocarpum - Lake County western flax
- Hesperolinon disjunctumHesperolinon disjunctumHesperolinon disjunctum is a species of flowering plant in the flax family known by the common name Coast Range dwarf flax. It is endemic to California, where it has a disjunct distribution along the North and Central Coast Ranges....
- Coast Range western flax - Hesperolinon drymarioidesHesperolinon drymarioidesHesperolinon drymarioides is a rare species of flowering plant in the flax family known by the common names drymary dwarf flax and drymaria-like western flax; it is named for its resemblance to genus Drymaria. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the central inland North Coast Range. Most...
- drymary western flax - Hesperolinon micranthumHesperolinon micranthumHesperolinon micranthum is a species of flowering plant in the flax family known by the common name smallflower dwarf flax. It is native to the west coast of North America from Oregon to Baja California. It may occur in Nevada. It grows in a number of open habitats, often on serpentine soils...
- smallflower western flax - Hesperolinon sharsmithiae - Sharsmith's western flax
- Hesperolinon spergulinum - slender western flax
- Hesperolinon tehamenseHesperolinon tehamenseHesperolinon tehamense is a rare species of flowering plant in the flax family known by the common names Tehama County western flax and Paskenta Grade dwarf flax. It is endemic to northern California, where it is known from only about ten occurrences, mostly within Tehama and Glenn Counties...
- Paskenta Grade western flax, Tehama western flax