Family |
Linaceae
Linum aroanium
Boiss. & Orph.
Linum aroanium Boiss. & Orph.
First published in P.E.Boissier, Diagn. Pl. Orient., ser. 2, 1: 96 (1854).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, pp. 455–456, Pl. CXC, 2; 1970)
Description
Life-form & habit: Several-stemmed subshrub, 30–80 cm tall, mostly hairless but slightly hairy near the base. Slender, stiff, ascending stems and branches become woody below.
Leaves: Small and one-veined; lowest leaves densely overlapping, ovate-oblong, upper leaves linear-lanceolate and sharply pointed.
Inflorescence & flowers: Loose, long-stalked clusters. Sepals are oblong-lanceolate, three-veined and sharply pointed, with slightly glandular-toothed margins. Petals are deep blue, about 15 mm long.
Fruit: Capsule only slightly exceeding the sepals.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering April–July.
Habitat & elevation: Wooded regions.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Sir ed Denniye, Jabal Qamoua, Qalaat Arrouba, between Qoubbayat and Akkar el Atiq, Sannine and Fnaidek.
Syrian distribution: East of Banias, Banias–Qadmous, south of Kessab, south of El Ourdou, Ain Haramiye and Bassit.
Native range: Greece, Lebanon-Syria, Türkiye.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Kew includes Linum cassium Rech.f. as a synonym. Mouterde notes that Lebanese and Syrian plants may have less glandular sepal margins than the Greek type.