Linanthus dianthiflorus (Benth.) E. Greene   =Linanthus dianthiflorus ssp. dianthiflorus   Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)   Native   Ground-Pink   Many Flowered Dianthus

                                          February Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Annual, usually with several very slender at first spreading, then erect stems 5-12 cm. long, puberulent; lvs. entire, filiform, mostly opposite, 1-2 cm. long, shorter than internodes; fls. solitary or in few-fld. leafy cymes, subsessile or with short pedicels; calyx 10-16 mm. long, deeply cleft into linear lobes with hyaline membrane filling lower half of sinus and for short distance on the lobes; corolla short funnelform, pink to lilac or white, diurnal, 10-25 mm. long, with dark basal spots and yellow throat, the lobes dentate, longer than tube and throat; stamens inserted at base of throat; seeds many, round-oblong with whitish angled membrane.

Habitat:  Common, open sandy places, below 4000 ft.; Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, V. Grassland; Santa Barbara to San Diego and w. edge of Colo. desert; n. L. Calif.  Feb.-April.

Name:  Greek, linon, flax and anthos, flower.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 658).  Dianthiflorus, means that these flowers resemble carnations.  (Dale 156).  John Johnson suggests that the resemblance to carnations is distant and the name may simply describe the flower color.

General:  Uncommon in the study area and found only on a bench northerly of the 23rd St.  (my comment).      This plant has been introduced into cultivation both in this country and abroad under the name Fenzlia dianthiflora and several varieties are used in edgings and in rock gardens.  (Dale 156).      A genus of about 40 species mostly of w. North America. and Chile.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 658).       Subspecies dianthiflorus is not listed in the 1993 Jepson Manual.  (my comment).          The genus Linanthus is included within Gilia in Bailey.  (Bailey 824).

Text Ref:  Abrams Vol. III 685; Dale 155; Hickman, Ed. 842; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 661.

Photo Ref:  Feb-Mar 88 # 3,4.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 373.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 5/30/03.

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                               February Photo                                                                               March Photo