Allred's Flax / Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

Allred's Flax (Linum allredii)

Orange Flowers Photo Credit: Trista Crook, under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management
  • Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
  • Legal Status: N/A
  • Family: Linaceae
  • State: NM, TX
  • Nature Serve ID: 883515
  • Lifeform: Forb/herb, Subshrub
  • Date Inducted in National Collection: 10/08/2019
Description:

When plants were visited in September 2019, many had no seeds, yet some still had flowers. The first week of September might not be an ideal time to collect.

Where is Allred's Flax (Linum allredii) located in the wild?

States & Provinces:

Allred's Flax can be found in New Mexico, Texas

Which CPC Partners conserve Allred's Flax (Linum allredii)?

  • Institute for Applied Ecology

    Not Sponsored
    Assigned 10/08/19
    • CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

    Conservation Actions

    • 10/10/2020
      • Seed Collection

    In 2019, much of the seed that was collected was non-viable as evidenced during winnowing. No precise methods were used to determine what percent this was. In 2019, rubbing between fingers and hands proved more effective than crushing by rolling pin as this was more apt to completely remove the seed from the fruit and prevent damage of the seed by rubbing the capsule across the abrasive sieve.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    Howard (2019) reported a density estimate of 2.65 plants per sq. meter, with a more common density of 0-1 plants per sq. meter and a density of up to 27 plants per square meter. He likely was counting ramets as individuals and used plots, so applying his data to this collection is likely resulting in an overestimate of the number of plants, especially since separate maternal lines were considered to be >1m apart.

    Bansbach et al. (2019) defined an individual as, “above-ground stems that are greater than 5 cm from the nearest neighbor and have no evidence of connection to another individual.” They reported a density of 1.36 plants per sq. meter. Using the data collected during this research also likely overestimates the population size as ramets are likely being counted as individuals (Bureau of Land Management 2017, pers. obs.). Based on field observations, the population was >500 plants, but not likely to be 1.36 million as Bansbach et al.’s data (2019) suggests nor 2.65 million plants as Howard’s data suggests.  

    Additionally, the total area calculated from the current collection survey in 2019 was based on points from plants collected from and overestimates the collection area as it is not all occupied by plants. There has not been any formal mapping of these populations.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    Some plants in an area not collected from in 2019 on the COG road (north of the “middle” subpopulation) were under threat from vehicular traffic as they were growing alongside the road and in a pullout. Camping might also be a threat to the population here. Plants in the “middle” subpopulation were also growing alongside roads, making them more susceptible to damage. However, the species also seemed to do well in these disturbed areas. Perhaps intermittent, small-scale disturbance is helpful for species establishment and spread.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    In 2019, variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) caterpillars were found on plants at all subpopulations, including the largest, most extensive population, which had such intense herbivory, that it could not be sampled. Once seed had matured, much of it was unviable or had been consumed (presumably by insects or other arthropods) so that collected fruits contained little to no viable seed. Some seeds had a white, fuzzy substance on them that may have been a pathogenic fungus.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    In 2019, much of the seed that was collected was non-viable as evidenced during winnowing. No precise methods were used to determine what percent this was.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    In 2019, rubbing between fingers and hands proved more effective than crushing by rolling pin as this was more apt to completely remove the seed from the fruit and prevent damage of the seed by rubbing the capsule across the abrasive sieve.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    Although plants were tagged with jewelry tags for future visits, they were often difficult to relocate as tags had been blown away.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    The species is frequently rhizomatous, resulting in some maternal lines with hundreds of seeds. Yet, in 2019, individual plants were also found with as few as no seeds and typically no more than five. It was difficult to determine when one individual ended and another began as rhizomatous individuals often spread for up to 5 meters in every direction.

    Trista Crook
    • 12/06/2019

    This species has only been reported from a few locations in Eddy County, New Mexico ranging from the Yeso Hills to the eastern part of the South Fork of Hay Hollow on BLM land. It likely extends into Texas as well, and was discovered on New Mexico state land in 2019.

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    Nomenclature
    Taxon Linum allredii
    Authority M.O.Howard
    Family Linaceae
    CPC Number 46837
    ITIS
    USDA
    Duration Perennial
    Common Names Allred's flax
    Associated Scientific Names Linum allredii
    Distribution
    State Rank
    State State Rank
    Texas SNR
    New Mexico S1S2
    Ecological Relationships

    Photos

    Orange Flowers Photo Credit: Trista Crook, under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management

    Yellow Flower Photo Credit: Trista Crook, under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management

    Fruits Photo Credit: Trista Crook, under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management

    Flowers and Fruits Photo Credit: Trista Crook, under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management

    Habitat and Habit Photo Credit: Trista Crook, under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management

    Flowers with Ant Photo Credit: Trista Crook, under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management

    Linum allredii flower in situ in New Mexico.

    Photo Credit: Fernando Rodriguez

    Linum allredii flower closeup, in situ in Texas.

    Photo Credit: Nathan Taylor

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