Linum catharticum
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ff48a31746015600063 |
| Scientific name | Linum catharticum |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 281 (1753) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Ornamental plant: widely sold by nurseries and seed companies as a compact, low‑maintenance annual/biennial for rock gardens, border edges, meadow plantings, and pollinator‑friendly gardens.
- Seed mix component: included in commercial wildflower seed mixtures marketed for naturalistic landscaping and soil stabilization; marketed under common names such as slender flax or dwarf flax.
- Horticultural cultivar: selected forms with compact habit and profuse flowering are sometimes offered as dwarf varieties in garden centers.
- Miniature container‑grown specimens: marketed in 9‑cm pots for instant rock‑garden displays and educational planting kits.
Scientific/model‑organism use:
- Phylogenetic reference: L. catharticum is included in molecular systematic studies of the genus Linum, providing a representative of the European clade for nuclear ribosomal DNA and plastid sequence data (e.g., Mezgar et al., Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 2022).
- Ecological model: used in studies of early‑successional herbaceous communities and pollinator interactions due to its short life‑cycle and small stature, allowing experimental field manipulations (e.g., J. Ecol. 2021, 109: 234‑245).
- Reference material: herbarium vouchers of L. catharticum serve as standard reference specimens in taxonomic databases such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the International Plant Names Index (IPNI).
Properties relevant to use:
- Growth habit: compact, 10–30 cm tall, with fine, branching stems and a basal rosette, enabling dense planting in limited spaces.
- Flowering period: May–July, producing abundant small yellow‑white flowers that attract a range of insects, enhancing its ornamental value and ecological function.
- Seed characteristics: seeds are minute (≈1 mm) with hard testa, suitable for commercial seed‑drill sowing in mixed wildflower mixes.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Native range: Europe and western Asia; cultivated for ornamental purposes without introduction of non‑native genotypes, reducing the risk of invasive spread.
- Low input requirements: thrives on well‑drained, calcareous soils with minimal fertilization, making it a low‑resource ornamental option.
- Harvest and propagation: commercially produced from seed harvested from wild‑type plants, with no known cultivated varieties requiring intensive inputs; seed collection complies with local biodiversity regulations (e.g., EU habitats directive for native plant trade).
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Linum diversifolium | Gilib. | Fl. Lit. Inch. 2: 143 (1782) |
| Nezera cathartica | (L.) Nieuwl. | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 3: 152 (1913) |
| Cathartolinum catharticum | (L.) Small | N. Amer. Fl. 25: 74 (1907) |
| Cathartolinum pratense | Rchb. | Handb. Nat. Pfl.-Syst. 307. 1837 [1-7 Oct 1837] |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | fairy flax |
| English | purging flax |
| English | purging flax, fairy flax |
| Spanish | lino |
| Spanish | lino purgante |
| Spanish | lino catártico |
| Spanish | cantilagua |
| Spanish | canchilagua |
| Spanish | canchelagua |
| Arabic | كتان مسهل |
| Arabic | الكتان المسهل |
| Arabic | كتان جبلي |
| Azerbaijani | İşlədici zəyrək |
| Azerbaijani | İşlədici kətan |
| Belarusian | Лён слабільны |
| Belarusian | Лён слабіцельны |
| Bulgarian | слабителен лен |
| Czech | len luční |
| Czech | len počistivý |
| Czech | lneček luční |
| Welsh | llin y tylwyth teg |
| Danish | vild hør |
| German | wiesen-lein |
| German | purgierlein |
| German | purgier-lein |
| Estonian | aaslina |
| Persian | کتان پری |
| Finnish | ahopellava |
| French | lin purgatif |
| Irish | lus na mban sí |
| Upper Sorbian | hórki len |
| Hungarian | békalen |
| Icelandic | villilín |
| Norwegian Bokmål | vill-lin |
| Dutch | geelhartje |
| Polish | len przeczyszczający |
| Portuguese | linun catharticum l. |
| Portuguese | linho-purgante |
| Russian | Лён слабительный |
| Russian | Лен слабительный |
| Slovak | ľan prečisťujúci |
| Swedish | vildlin |
| Ukrainian | Льон проносний |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Linum catharticum var. catharticum | Unknown | |
| Linum catharticum var. subalpinum | Hausskn. | Mitt. Thüring. Bot. Ges. n.f., 6: 22 (1894) |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
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Northern Africa
- Morocco
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Northern Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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Middle Asia
- Tadzhikistan
-
Siberia
- West Siberia
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Western Asia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Turkey
-
Caucasus
-
Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- Tasmania
-
Australia
-
Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- Krym
- North European Russia
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
-
Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
-
Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Føroyar
- Great Britain
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
-
Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Corse
- France
- Portugal
- Spain
-
Eastern Europe
-
Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Québec
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
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Western Canada
- British Columbia
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Eastern Canada
-
Southern America click to expand
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Southern South America
- Argentina South
-
Southern South America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000363831 |
| UNII | A9L9GRH405 |
| Canadensys | 6549 |
| USDA Plants | LICA9 |
| Tropicos | 18700010 |
| INPN | 106288 |
| Flora of Italy | 2879 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:544405-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2348507 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 112353 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 524254 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000003145 |
| Nature Serve | 2.129844 |
| IPNI | 544405-1 |
| iNaturalist | 84280 |
| GBIF | 2873865 |
| Freebase | /m/02rp5q3 |
| EPPO | LIUCA |
| EOL | 581830 |
| Elurikkus | 5502 |
| USDA GRIN | 22328 |
| Wikipedia | Linum_catharticum |
| CMAUP | NPO23357 |
| PFAF | Linum catharticum |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Lignan lactones | |||||
| beta-Peltatin | 92122 | Click to see | 414.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(98)00045-3 |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Lignan lactones / Podophyllotoxins | |||||
| (5R,5aR,8aR,9R)-4-methoxy-5-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-9-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-5a,6,8a,9-tetrahydro-5H-[2]benzofuro[6,5-f][1,3]benzodioxol-8-one | 14229357 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC)OC)C2C3C(COC3=O)C(C4=C(C5=C(C=C24)OCO5)OC)OC6C(C(C(C(O6)CO)O)O)O | 606.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1034298 |
| [(5R,5aR,8aR,9R)-4-methoxy-8-oxo-9-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-5a,6,8a,9-tetrahydro-5H-[2]benzofuro[6,5-f][1,3]benzodioxol-5-yl] acetate | 14583617 | Click to see | 486.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1034298 |
| [4-methoxy-8-oxo-9-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-5a,6,8a,9-tetrahydro-5H-[2]benzofuro[6,5-f][1,3]benzodioxol-5-yl] acetate | 14583613 | Click to see | 486.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1034298 |
| 4-methoxy-5-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-9-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-5a,6,8a,9-tetrahydro-5H-[2]benzofuro[6,5-f][1,3]benzodioxol-8-one | 14229358 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC)OC)C2C3C(COC3=O)C(C4=C(C5=C(C=C24)OCO5)OC)OC6C(C(C(C(O6)CO)O)O)O | 606.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1034298 |
| 5-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-9-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-5a,6,8a,9-tetrahydro-5H-[2]benzofuro[6,5-f][1,3]benzodioxol-8-one | 101643291 | Click to see | 576.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(98)00045-3 |
| 6-Methoxypodophyllotoxin | 3035544 | Click to see | 444.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(98)00045-3 |
| Podofilox | 10607 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC)OC)C2C3C(COC3=O)C(C4=CC5=C(C=C24)OCO5)O | 414.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(98)00045-3 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Long-chain fatty acids | |||||
| Oleic Acid | 445639 | Click to see | 282.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Palmitic Acid | 985 | Click to see | 256.42 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Stearic Acid | 5281 | Click to see | 284.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Very long-chain fatty acids | |||||
| Behenic Acid | 8215 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O | 340.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Lignoceric Acid | 11197 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O | 368.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Lineolic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Linoleic Acid | 5280450 | Click to see CCCCCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC(=O)O | 280.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzopyrans / 1-benzopyrans / Xanthones | |||||
| 1-Methoxy-2,3,7,8-dimethylenedioxyxanthone | 637216 | Click to see COC1=C2C(=CC3=C1OCO3)OC4=C(C2=O)C5=C(C=C4)OCO5 | 314.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 1,7-Dihydroxy-3,4,8-trimethoxyxanthone | 76317201 | Click to see | 318.28 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 8,9,11-Trimethoxy-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-b]xanthen-10-one | 10065197 | Click to see | 330.29 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |