Linum lewisii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Linum lewisii |
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| In Elena Gallegos Picnic Area, Albuquerque, NM | |
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Linum
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lewisii
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Lewis flax (also known as blue flax or prairie flax) is a beautiful wild plant. Its scientific name is Linum lewisii. This plant is a perennial, which means it lives for more than two years. It belongs to the Linaceae family, which includes many types of flax plants.
This lovely plant is found all over western North America. You can see it from Alaska in the north, all the way down to Baja California in the south. It grows from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Mississippi River in the east. Lewis flax likes to grow on dry hills and ridges. It can be found from sea level up to very high places, like 11,000 ft (3,400 m) in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The plant was named after a famous explorer, Meriwether Lewis. He was part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which explored the western United States.
Lewis flax is a slender herbaceous plant. This means it has soft, green stems, not woody ones like a tree. It can grow up to 80 cm (about 31 inches) tall. Its leaves are narrow and shaped like a spear, about 1–2 cm long. They are arranged in a spiral pattern around the stem.
What Does Lewis Flax Look Like?
The flowers of Lewis flax are usually pale blue or lavender. Sometimes, they can even be white. You might notice darker blue veins running through the petals, which makes them look even prettier. Each flower has five petals, and they are about 1–1.5 cm long.
Growing Lewis Flax
Lewis flax is a very tough plant! It can grow well in many different places, especially if the conditions are good. It can even spread its seeds and start growing in places like established lawns. This makes it a very durable and sometimes even "aggressive" plant, meaning it spreads easily.
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The flowers grow in a cluster at the top of the plant.
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Flowers can be pale blue, lavender, or white, often with darker veins.
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Its leaves are narrow and spirally arranged, about 1 to 3 cm long.
Native American Uses
For a long time, Native Americans used Lewis flax in different ways. According to Melvin R. Gilmore, they would gather the seeds of the plant. These seeds were then cooked because they tasted good and were very nutritious.
Some Native American groups also used the strong fibers from the Lewis flax plant. They would make these fibers into cordage, which is like strong rope or string.
