Linaceae

Linum lewisii

Western Blue Flax

Upright. Stems in tight clump, slender, flexible, hairless. Leaves alternate on stem, linear, less than 1 in., hairless. Flowers with 5 thin blue or occasionally white petals, yellow at base, usually fall within a day of opening. Grows on ridges, open slopes, mountain meadows, shrub-steppe, grasslands, at 1300–8000 ft. Plants in this family are cultivated for their fibrous stems, which are used to make cords. Also a source of linen.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 6--36 inches
• Habitat: Meadow, Subalpine, East-Side Forest, Shrub-Steppe
• Found In: Steens, Wallowas, Siskiyous
• Native: Yes