Lewis Flax. Linum lewisii, Flax Family ( Linaceae ), Lewis Flax. Also called: Lewis' Blue Flax, Lewis' Prairie Flax, Wild Blue Flax, Prairie Flax, Linum lewisii var. lewisii, or Linum perenne var. lewisii. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. A perennial subshrub, shrub, forb, tufted plant, with grass-like foliage. There are dozens of bright blue flowers, 1 to 2 inches in diameter, in drooping branches at the tip of each stem, they close in the evening. Individual flowers last only one day. The flowers, funnel-shaped when they open in the morning, flatten as the day progresses and are dropped the following day. They have tiny gray-green leaves. Some early Native Americans made thread from these 1 to 2 foot tall plants that grow from dry rocky valleys to subalpine areas. They generally flower from June through August producing several 5 petaled flowers with 5 styles that are longer than the five stamen. The blossoms usually close in the afternoon. This species is named "lewisii" in honor of Meriwether Lewis of Lewis & Clark, since it was discovered on their expedition across the plains in 1806. Quick Notes: Height: A spreading green herb, up to about 24 inches high, a 12 inch spread, and a long taproot. Flowers: Pale silver blue to deep sky blue. About 1" across, with five separate petals that curve outward. Flowering Time: In Arizona they bloom April - November. Leaves: Short and narrow, spaced closely along the nonflowering stems, giving a whorled appearance. Wax green color. Found: In USA native to (AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, LA, MI, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WV, WY); In Canada native to (AB, BC, MB, NT, NU, ON, QC, SK, YT). South into Mexico. to Baja Norte. Found nearly throughout the state of Arizona. Hardiness: USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Elevation: Can be found from 3,200 - 5,000 Feet. Habitat: Pinyon-juniper communities up to mountain meadows. Slopes, mesas, and disturbed rocky soil. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken November 1, 2005. Strawberry, Arizona.

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