About Linum grandiflorum Desf.
Linum grandiflorum Desf. is a flax species with several common names: flowering flax, red flax, scarlet flax, and crimson flax. It is native to Algeria and Tunisia. It is an introduced species in other parts of Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and multiple locations in North America. This annual herb grows an erect, branching stem lined with waxy, lance-shaped leaves that are 1 to 2 centimeters long. Its inflorescence holds flowers on pedicels that are several centimeters long. Each flower has 5 red petals, each up to 3 centimeters long, and stamens tipped with anthers that carry light blue pollen. This species can occasionally appear as a casual plant well outside its normal established range; for example, records from the British Isles are reasonably frequent according to the latest BSBI atlas, but since it is grown as an annual, it rarely persists for more than one growing season. It is a popular garden plant, and has been cultivated in a number of colors including salmon. Several different variant and cultivar names are used for its forms, including L. grandiflorum rubrum, L. grandiflorum var. rubrum, L. grandiflorum 'Rubrum', and the additional variety Bright Eyes.
