Taxon Report
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae R. O’DonnellSharsmith's western flax |
 © 2017 Aaron Arthur |
Taxon Summary
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae, commonly known as Sharsmith's western flax, is a annual herb in the Linaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, growing at elevations from 270 to 300 meters. Hesperolinon sharsmithiae is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Hesperolinon sharsmithiae R. O’Donnell |
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Common Name: |
Sharsmith's western flax |
| Family: | Linaceae |
| Element Code: | PDLIN010E0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | annual herb |
| Blooming Period: May-Jul | May-Jul |
| Elevation: | 270-300 (885-985) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral |
| Microhabitat: | Serpentine |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G2Q |
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State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 32 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 3 |
| Good (B) | 8 |
| Fair (C) | 4 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 17 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Lake (LAK), Napa (NAP) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Aetna Springs (3812264), Capell Valley (3812242), Chiles Valley (3812253), Detert Reservoir (3812265), Jericho Valley (3812274), Lower Lake (3812285), Middletown (3812275), St. Helena (3812254), Walter Springs (3812263), Yountville (3812243) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 8 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 10 | 31 % | |
| Agriculture | 6 | 18% |
| Development | 3 | 9% |
| Grazing | 1 | 3% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 1 | 3% |
| Other | 1 | 3% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 1 | 3% |
| Wood cutting or brush clearing | 1 | 3% |
| Dam/Inundation | 1 | 3% |
Notes
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Threats: |
| Threatened by development. |
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Taxonomy: |
| Includes plants previously identified as H. tehamense, H. serpentinum ined. Similar to: H. bicarpellatum, H. clevelandii, H. disjunctum, H. tehamense. See Madroño 53(4):404-408 (2006) for original description and The Four Seasons 13(4):1-54 (2010) for additional taxonomic information. |
Selected References
| CRPR List Addition on 2012-12-14 |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2026. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 March 2026].