Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Annual herb, 10-40 cm tall, from a slender taproot; stems sparsely branched, usually only branching above the middle; herbage faintly scaberulous towards the base of the plant and glabrous above.

Leaves: Alternate, sessile, and appressed-ascending; blade linear, 6-20 mm long and 1 mm wide, with a pointed tip.

Flowers: Yellow, located at branch tips, sometimes arranged in cymes (round-topped panicles); sepals 5, lanceolate and awn-tipped, 5-7 mm long, the margins glandular and minutely ciliate; petals 5, obovate, 5-9 mm long, bright yellow to orange-yellow; styles 2-4 mm long.

Fruits: Capsules ovoid, 4 mm long, separating at maturity into five 2-seeded segments.

Ecology: Found in open dry plains, foothills, and woodlands, from 4,000-9,000 ft (1219-2743 m); flowers May-August.

Distribution: MT, NV, and WY, south to TX and n MEX.

Notes: The keys to this species are the orangish-yellow 5-petaled flowers; the stems which are sparingly branched and usually only branch above the middle; the styles, which are 2-4 mm long and united, appearing to be one style with several small lobes at the top; and the scabrous lower stems(covered with short, rough hairs; use your hand lens). L. aristatum is similar but the stems are completely hairless and branching throughout, including near the base; and the styles are longer, 5-7 mm long, also united into one stalk as in L. australe.

Ethnobotany: Hopi used it to treat stomach disorders; Navajo used it to treat kidney disease.

Etymology: Linum comes from linon, the Greek name for flax; australe means southern.

Synonyms: None

Editor: AHazelton 2017