Lepage's flax, lin de Lepage Lepage's flax, lin de Lepage

Linum lepagei B. Boivin, Naturaliste Canad. 75: 219. 1948

Herbs, 10–30 cm. Flowers: petals mostly white, 8.4–10(–14) mm; styles 2.6–5.1 mm.

Flowering Jul–Aug. Sandy or gravelly ridges, limestone outcrops on arctic shores; of conservation concern; 0–20 m; Man., Nunavut, Ont.

According to M. Oldham (pers. comm.), var. lepagei is one of the few Hudson Bay endemic vascular plants; it is widespread but local on the Ontario coast, where it always occurs on sandy or gravelly beach ridges. It grows in similar habitats on Akimiski Island in the James Bay region, Nunavut. J. D. T. Becker (2010) found that specimens of var. lepagei were smaller in general than those of var. lewisii. Stamens were longer than carpels in var. lepagei and shorter than carpels in var. lewisii. Specimens identified as var. lewisii from coastal and high-latitude localities in Yukon and Northwest Territories were similar to var. lepagei. Variety lepagei can be expected to occur in Quebec; specimens collected from Nunavut islands are only 7 km from the Quebec shoreline (Becker).