Linum strictum L.

Spice Flowers Image 2 In the field Inflorescence

Family: LINACEAE

Genus: Linum

Catalan common name: Llinet estricte.

Spanish common name: Lino amarillo.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytics communities.

Characteristics: A small plant, which grows erectly, with almost linear leaves, a little rough to the touch, it branches out at the top. It is easy to recognise when it is in flower because they are lemon yellow, small, with five round petals, often forming a false umbel of flowers. It can be mistaken for Linum trigynum, which lives in the same environments and also has yellow flowers, but a golden yellow; moreover the whole plant is more delicate and flexuous. It lives in meadows among the bushes in dry garrigues (Mediterranean woodland) and pinewoods; preferably in carbonate soils, whereas Linum trigynum is more abundant in soils without carbonates. It flowers during spring.