Linum tenellum Cham. & Schltdl.

Cathartolinum tenellum (Sehlecht. 6c Cham.) Small
I, ilium tenellum Sehlecht. & Cham. Linnaea 5 : 235. 1830.
Annual, grayish-green , the stem usually branched at the base, the branches 0.5-3 dm. tall, minutely hirsute, striate-angled, irregularly branched above, the cymules mostly elongate and raceme-like; leaves rather few, sometimes approximate and usually opposite near the base of the plant, alternate above ; the blades obovate to elliptic or oblong, 3-9 mm. long, entire, pubescent or nearly glabrous, acute ; bracts lanceolate, glandular-toothed ; outer sepals lanceolate, becoming 3.5 mm. long, acute, evenly glandular-toothed ; inner sepals lanceolate, acute or short-acuminate, more finely toothed than the outer ; petals yellow ; filaments pubescent at the base ; staminodia 2-lobed, ciliate ; ovary pubescent ; styles distinct, glabrous ; capsules ovoid, about 1.5 mm. long, surpassed by the sepals.
Type locality : Near Jalapa, Mexico. Distribution : Mexico.