Seasonal Wild Flowers

Pale Flax

Linum bienne

Linaceae

May to September

It is mainly found in the South and Southwest.

It is scattered elsewhere.

See the BSBI distribution map for Pale Flax

It grows on dry grassy places mainly near the sea.

It prefers well-drained, south-facing slopes on

unimproved grassland.

Pale flax is a native, annual, biennial or short-lived

perennial,low-growing herb reaching 60cm.

Plants growing in short grassland are almost prostrate

and hug the ground.

Flowers are pale blue with purple veins and up to 2cm

across.

The 5 styles are white and the anthers are bright blue.

The stigma is club-shaped.

Sepals are oval.

Fruits are globose capsules.

Leaves are alternate, linear to oval, and up to 2.5cm.

Stems are wiry and radiate out from the centre.

Pale Flax in seaside grassland, Cogden, Dorset

Close-up of flower

Side view with sepals

Close-up of blue anthers and club-shaped stigma

Seed capsules

Leaves

Flower stems radiating from centre

Size of Pale Flax compared with a small Daisy