Family |
Linaceae
Linum bienne
Mill.
Linum bienne Mill.
First published in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 8 (1768).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 455, Pl. CLXXXIX, 3; 1970)
Description
Life-form & habit: Often several-stemmed herb, biennial or short-lived perennial, with slender, stiff, ascending stems, 20–60 cm long or more.
Leaves: Alternate, narrow, linear and pointed, with one vein.
Inflorescence & flowers: Solitary flowers on long, thread-like stalks. Sepals are ovate, pointed and one-veined, with membranous, finely toothed margins, forming a calyx 4–5 mm long. Blue petals have entire margins and are 10–12 mm long.
Fruit: Capsule barely exceeding the sepals.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering March–May, later in the mountains.
Habitat & elevation: Grassy places and the surroundings of springs.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Khalde, Beirut, Nahr el Kalb, Kfar Chima, Beddaoui, Dhour Choueir, Mayrouba, Maasser, Jamhour, Khan Sannine, Hasroun, Dimane, Taanayel, Amriye, Bqaatouta and Kfertay.
Syrian distribution: Tartous–Banias, Bhamra, Chmaisse, south of El Ourdou, Ain Haramiye, Kessab and Hamme.
Native range: Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Great Britain, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Spain, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe.
Introduced into: Argentina Northeast, Azores, British Columbia, California, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, Germany, Hawaii, New Zealand North, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tasmania.