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Linum sulcatum

Riddell

Grooved Yellow Flax

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.131004
Element CodePDLIN020V0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderLinales
FamilyLinaceae
GenusLinum
Other Common Names
Grooved Flax (EN) grooved flax (EN) Lin à rameaux sillonnés (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
This record is for a broad treatment of Linum sulcatum, including L. sulcatum var. harperi as a variety, as recognized in Kartesz (1994, 1999). Weakley et al. (2025) and Morin in FNA (2016, vol. 12) recognize L. harperi as a distinct species and therefore treat L. sulcatum more narrowly.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-28
Change Date1985-04-10
Edition Date2024-06-28
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Linum sulcatum is a widespread annual herb occurring in gravelly fields, open woods, barrens, prairies, alvars, cedar glades, and interdunal flats of eastern North America from Manitoba, Canada east to Québec, and in the United States from New Hampshire south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to North Dakota. Threats include development, silviculture, rights-of-way maintenance activities, recreational activities, succession, erosion, invasive species, mining, and other threats in some places. It is restricted to limestone soils in the northeast part of it's range, and considered rare and in decline. However, elsewhere it is widespread and less habitat restricted. With a large range extent and over 300 occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Linum sulcatum occurs in eastern North America from Manitoba, Canada east to Québec, and in the United States from New Hampshire south to Florida west to Texas and north to North Dakota (FNA 2016). This is primarily a Great Plains species, occurring as a rare disjunct farther east (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Range extent was estimated to be 3.7 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, NatureServe network occurrence data, and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 400 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although rangewide threats are not widely documented, Linum sulcatum is threatened by development, silviculture, rights-of-way maintenance activities, recreational activities, succession, erosion, invasive species, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). In New England, both populations occur in successional cedar glades that are managed to maintain open habitat (Zaremba 2003). Mining is also a concern for populations occurring (or historically occurring) in New York and Connecticut.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Linum sulcatum occurs in "sandy, gravelly fields, calcareous ledges and barrens, diabase barrens, cedar glades, prairies, alvars, sometimes in open woods, interdunal flats" (FNA 2016).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - ConiferGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldSand/duneBarrens
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS2Yes
ManitobaS3Yes
QuebecSNANo
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WisconsinSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New YorkS2Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
VirginiaS3Yes
ConnecticutS1Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
GeorgiaSHYes
MarylandS1Yes
LouisianaS1Yes
MichiganS2Yes
VermontSHYes
IllinoisSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
Rhode IslandSHYes
OklahomaSNRYes
OhioS3Yes
TexasSNRYes
KentuckyS3Yes
North CarolinaSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
MississippiS3Yes
New JerseySNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
West VirginiaS1Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
FloridaSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.2 - Wood & pulp plantationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.2.3 - Scale unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
3 - Energy production & miningUnknownUnknownUnknown
3.2 - Mining & quarryingUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3.2 - Soil erosion, sedimentationUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Long X DivideDakota Prairie Grasslands10,099
References (19)
  1. Britton, N. L. and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. 3 vol. Dover Publications, Inc., N. Y. 2052 pp.
  2. Fernald, M.L. 1950 Gray's Manual of Botany, 8th ed. American Book Company, New York. 1632 pp.
  3. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2016. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 12. Magnoliophyta: Vitaceae to Garryaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 603 pp.
  4. Gleason, H.A., and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
  5. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  6. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  7. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  8. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  9. Long, B. 1927. Some noteworthy indigenous species new to the Philadelphia area. Bartonia 10:30-52.
  10. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  11. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  12. Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1183 pp.
  13. Riddell, J.L. 1836. A Supplementary Catalogue of Ohio Plants. Catalogue and descriptions read, and specimens exhibited, before the Western Academy of Natural Sciences, March 16, 1836. Cincinnati (N.S. Johnson).
  14. Rogers, C.M. 1963. Yellow flowered species of Linum in eastern North America. Brittonia 15:97-122.
  15. Snyder, D. B. 1986. Rare New Jersey plant species rediscovered. Bartonia 52:44-48.
  16. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  17. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).
  18. Weishaupt, C.G. 1971. Vascular Plants of Ohio, Third edition. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., Dubuque, Iowa.
  19. Zaremba, R.E. 2003.<i> Linum sulcatum</i> Riddell Grooved Flax Conservation and Research Plan for New England. Unpublished report prepared for the New England Wild flower Society, Framingham, Massachusetts. May 2003. Online. Available: <a href="https://newfs-society.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Linumsulcatum.PDF">https://newfs-society.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Linumsulcatum.PDF</a> (Accessed 2024).