Hesperolinon congestum

Marin western flax, Marin Western Flax

Family: Linaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Threatened

Marin western flax is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in northern Coast Ranges and San Francisco Bay Area in serpentine grasslands at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from April to August, this delicate plant produces pink to rose flowers with distinctive rose to purple anthers in small dense clusters. Growing with slender stems 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it develops linear alternate leaves with well-developed red-exuding stipule glands. Its leaves are nearly hairless and characterized by their narrow, linear shape with conspicuous red glandular stipules. The small flowers feature hairy sepals 3 to 4 millimeters long and petals 3 to 8 millimeters in soft pink to rose tones.

Habitat: Serpentine, grassland

Bloom period: Apr-Aug

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: n CCo, nw SnFrB.

California counties: San Mateo, Marin, San Francisco, Colusa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.