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Linum floridanum

(Planch.) Trel.

Florida Yellow Flax

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.157501
Element CodePDLIN020A0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderLinales
FamilyLinaceae
GenusLinum
Other Common Names
Florida yellow flax (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2026-04-07
Change Date2026-04-07
Edition Date2026-04-07
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2026)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Linum floridanum is a wide-ranging perennial herb found in wet, loamy pine and pine-palmetto savannas, as well as pitcher plant seepage bogs. It occurs in the southeastern United States, from eastern Virginia, south to southern Florida, and west to Louisiana and eastern Texas, and also in Jamaica. There are over 150 occurrences, which face threats from development, conversion to pine plantation, rights-of-way maintenance activities, succession from fire suppression, hydrological alteration, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered apparently secure.
Range Extent Comments
Linum floridanum is mostly limited to the Coastal Plain in the southeastern United States, from eastern Virginia, south to southern Florida, and west to Louisiana and eastern Texas, and also in Jamaica (FNA 2016, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). It was documented in Missouri in 1999 and determined to be this taxon in 2012; however, it is unknown whether this disjunction represents native populations (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025, NatureServe 2026). Range extent was estimated to be less than 2.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 150 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Threat Impact Comments
This taxon faces threats from development, conversion to pine plantation, rights-of-way maintenance activities, succession from fire suppression, hydrological alteration, and invasive species, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this taxon rangewide (NatureServe 2026).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Linum floridanum grows in open, wet pine and pine-palmetto savannas and woodlands, pitcher plant seepage bogs, and sandhill seeps (FNA 2016, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025).

Reproduction

This taxon flowers from June to October (FNA 2016, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedSavannaGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
Bog/fen
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS4Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
FloridaS4Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
TexasS2Yes
MississippiS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.2 - Wood & pulp plantationsUnknownSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsUnknownModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4.2 - Utility & service linesUnknownModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
References (9)
  1. Adams, C. D. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies. Mona, Jamaica. 848 pp.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2016. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 12. Magnoliophyta: Vitaceae to Garryaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 603 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2026. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2026).
  4. iNaturalist. 2026. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2026).
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2026. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2026).
  9. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).