ASTEROLINON LINUM-STELLATUM

Family and Genus:- See- PRIMULACEAE

Common Names:- Star flax

Homotypic Synonyms:- Lysimachia linum-stellatum

Meaning:- Asterolinon Meaning uncertain.

Linum (L) Ancient name for flax.

Stellatum (L) With spreading rays, star-like.

General description:- Delicate, hairless annual herb.

Stems:-

1) 3-12(-18) cm, erect, freely branched.

Leaves:-

1) 3-7 x 0·5-2 mm, opposite, lanceolate, sessile, acute, entire, acuminate.

equalling or longer than the internodes.

Flowers:-

1) In long racemes, with leaf-like bracts.

2) Pedicels, 2-4 mm.

3) Calyx, 3-6 mm, divided almost to the base into lobes

a) lobes, 3mm, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acute to acuminate.

4) Corolla, 0·2-2 mm, much shorter than the calyx, rotate; segments ovate,

imbricate, white.

a) filaments, adnate to the corolla,

b) anthers, exserted.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, globose.

2) Seeds, 2-5, blackish, coarsely rugose.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Dry, rocky places in dry open shrubby vegetation , open coniferous

woodland, fallow fields, etc. 0-700 m. occasionally to 1400 m.

Distribution:- Widespread in the Mediterranean region and SW Asia, eastwards to

Iran. Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mar-May.

Photos by:- Thomas Giannakis and Dr. Armin Jagel