Taxonomic update of the flax family in Mexico Author González-Velasco, Juan 0000-0001-8743-3906 Departamento de Botánica, Colegio de Postgraduados. km 36.5 carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, 56230 Texcoco, Mexico, Mexico. & gonzalez. juan @ colpos. mx; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 8743 - 3906 gonzalez.juan@colpos.mx Author Burgos-Hernández, Mireya 0000-0003-3036-297X Departamento de Botánica, Colegio de Postgraduados. km 36.5 carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, 56230 Texcoco, Mexico, Mexico. & burgos. mireya @ colpos. mx; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3036 - 297 X burgos.mireya@colpos.mx Author Galván-Escobedo, Iris G. 0000-0003-4250-4971 Departamento de Botánica, Colegio de Postgraduados. km 36.5 carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, 56230 Texcoco, Mexico, Mexico. & igalvan @ colpos. mx; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4250 - 4971 igalvan@colpos.mx Author Castillo-Campos, Gonzalo 0000-0002-3059-8109 Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática. Instituto de Ecología A. C. Carretera antigua a Coatepec km. 351, El Haya, 91073, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. & gonzalo. castillo @ inecol. mx; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 3059 - 8109 gonzalo.castillo@inecol.mx text Phytotaxa 2022 2022-06-08 549 2 141 184 journal article 67684 10.11646/phytotaxa.549.2.3 62e44cf6-6f9d-4658-a89b-a0ddf687b5b9 1179-3163 6622753 Linum pringlei S.Watson (1888: 269) . ( Fig. 9b ). Type :— MEXICO . Chihuahua : shaded slopes, Sierra Madre , Pringle 1200 ( holotype US!, isotypes GH!, MSC, NY!) . Cathartolinum pringlei Small (1907c: 74) . Description :— Herbs , perennial, 23–68 cm in height, glabrous, root thin; stems erect, branched from near the base, rigid ascending branches, extended, glabrous. Leaves , basal entire, opposite; distal discretely dentate, alternate; lanceolate or oblanceolate, 8.0.0–19 × 0.7–3.5 mm , sessile, apex acute or rounded, 2-nerved, membranous, glabrous, stipular glands absent. Inflorescence a cymose panicle, pedicels 3.0–14.0 mm long; bracts 1.7–3.4 mm long, margin sparsely dentate, apex acute, stipular glands absent; sepals persistent, ovate to lanceolate, 3.0–4.5 × 0.8–2.1 mm , margin entire or sparsely dentate above the mid portion to glandular-dentate, apex acute to acuminate, 1-nerved, glabrous, stipular glands absent; petals white to pinkish, oblanceolate, 5.0 – 8.0 mm long, glabrous; stamens 2.0–3.0 mm long; anthers 0.6–0.8 mm long, light yellow; staminodia present; styles free, 1.1–2.0 mm long; stigmata capitate, white. Fruit ovoidpyriform, yellow with purple hues in the upper part, 2.3–2.7 × 2.3–2.8 mm , glabrous, pericarp thin, apex acuminate, dehiscent into 10 segments, false septa partially developed, septa ciliated along the margins; seeds narrow to widely ovate, reddish-brown, 1.5–1.8 × 0.8–1.1 mm . Distribution: —Endemic to Mexico , in Aguascalientes , Chihuahua , Coahuila , Durango , and Jalisco ( Fig. 5c ). Habitat and ecology: —Oyamel fir forest, cypress-juniper forest, oak forests, oak-pine forests, thornless or small-leaved sub-thornless shrubland, palm-tree forests, pine forests. Elevation 1900–2900 m . Cambisol, Kastanozem, Phaeozem, Lithosol, Luvisol, Regosol, Rendzina, Vertisol, and Xerosol soil types . Phenology: —Flowering in March–September; fruiting in June–October. Note: —It is easily distinguished from other Mexican flax species by the white to pinkish color of the corolla; however, it is often confused with L. neomexicanum based on vegetative traits. The ovoid-pyriform fruits of L. pringlei are another character that can be used to identify the species. Conservation status: — Linum pringlei registers an EOO of 229,843.785 km 2 , and an AOO of 120 km 2 . In addition, the species is known from> 10 localities therefore it is considered as LC. However, the species, besides being endemic, presents a not continuous distribution that affects the estimation of EOO. Furthermore, template forests of the high regions of Mexico as the north-western portion—the area of distribution of the species—are disappearing due to the development of agriculture and livestock ( Gutiérrez-Garcia & Ricker 2019 , CONABIO 2021 ), so L. pringlei could be threatened in the short term. Specimens examined: — MEXICO . Aguascalientes : San José de Gracia , 10 km al NW de la Congoja , 2630 m , 22°12’39.2”N , 102°38’5.9”W , 16 October 2013 , Murillo-Pérez 525 ( INEGI !) ; San José de Gracia , 12 km al SW de la Congoja , 2700 m , 16 October 1973 , Rzedowski & McVaugh 778 ( MEXU !) . Chihuahua : Ocampo , Parque Nacional , Cascada de Basaseachi , 2100 m , 28°11’00”N , 108°12’30”W , 3 October 1986 , R Spellenberg et al. 8674 ( CIIDIR !) . Coahuila : Saltillo , Ladera caliza 3 km al S de El Frayle , 1953 m , 25°00’47.6”N , 101°20’6.8”W , 1 October 2016 , M.A. Ayala-Ramos et al. 60 ( MEXU !) . Durango : Cuencamé , Cuencamé de Ceniceros , 12 October 1973 , J. Marroquín 2648 ( ANSM !) ; Durango , Predio Las Bayas , 2710 m , 8 August 1990 , A. García & M. González 569 (CHAPA!, CIIDIR !) ; Durango , Parque El Tecuán , 4 September 1984 , F. Casillas et al. 38 ( CIIDIR !) ; Durango , Parque El Tecuán , 30 August 1984 , F. Casillas et al. 40 (CHAPA!, IBUG !) ; Durango , Predio Las Bayas , 2700 m , 23°25’00”N , 104°51’00”W , 8 August 1990 , A. García & M. González 605 ( CIIDIR !) ; Durango , Parque El Tecuán , 30 August 1984 , F. Casillas et al. 40 ( CIIDIR !) ; Durango , Parque El Tecuán , 4 September 1984 , F. Casillas et al. 39 ( CIIDIR !) ; Durango , Parque El Tecuán , 4 September 1984 , F. Casillas et al. 46 ( CIIDIR !) ; El Mezquital , 19 km de Los Charcos , 2400 m , 4 October 1983 , S. González & M. González 2560 (ANSM!, CHAP!, CHAPA!, CIIDIR!, IBUG!, MEXU !) ; El Mezquital , 22 km al NE de Los Charcos , 2750 m , 1 November 1982 , S. González & J. Rzedowski 2345 (CHAPA!, CIIDIR !) ; El Mezquital , Rancho de La Mesa , 28 September 1985 , I. Solís 391 (CIIDIR!, IEB!, MEXU !) ; Otaez , Entre Llano Blanco y San José de la Escalera , 5 October 1990 , A. Benítez 2654 (CHAP!, CIIDIR!, MEXU !) ; Puente El Cajón San Antonio a 10 km de Altares , 1510 m , 2 October 1990 , O. Bravo B. 1711 (CHAP!, CIIDIR !) ; Súchil , Trampa Las Iglesias a 2 km de Alemán , 19 September 1986 , F. Acevedo 245 (ANSM!, CHAP!, CIIDIR !) ; Súchil , Potrero Tinajíta , ejido San Juan de Michis , 23 September 1985 , J. Alvarado 60 (ANSM!, CHAPA!, CIIDIR!, IBUG!, IEB !) ; Súchil , 4 km al SW de Piedra Herrada , 2400 m , 11 September 1981 , S. González 1948 (ANSM!, CHAPA!, CIIDIR!, ENCB!, IEB!, XAL !) ; Súchil , Arroyo El Ranchero , 2400 m , 23°22’03”N , 104°18’03”W , 12 August 1990 , S. González & M. González 4751 (CIIDIR!, IBUG !) ; Súchil , Reserva de la Biosfera de La Michilia , 23°23’99”N, 104°14’99”W, 1 October 1983 , G. Flores 13519 ( CIIDIR !) ; Súchil , Arroyo Las Iglesias , 12 September 1986 , F. Acevedo 234 ( CIIDIR !) ; Súchil , Mesa EL Burro , 2700 m , 23°23’99”N, 104°17’99”W, 18 September 1985 , S. González 3235 (CHAP!, CHAPA!; CIIDIR!, UAMIZ !) ; Súchil , Arroyo Los Indios , 19 September 1985 , J. Alvarado 36 ( CIIDIR !) ; Tepehuanes , 50 km de Tepehuanes , 2570 m , 12 September 1989 , O. Bravo B. 316 (CHAP!, CIIDIR !) ; Tepehuanes , 5 km de la Mesa Alta , 2450 m , 6 September 1989 , O. Bravo B. 244 (CHAP!, CIIDIR !) ; 4 km al NW of Los Angeles along road between Mazatlan and Durango , 2500 m , 28 October 1973 , D.E. Breedlove 35739 ( MEXU !) . Jalisco : Tequila , Cima del Cerro ( Volcán ) de Tequila , 2850 m , 8 October 1988 , M. Cházaro B. et al. 5723 (IBUG!, IEB !) ; Mezquitic , 5 km al NE de El Mortero por el camino a Monte Escobedo , 2300 m , 22°22’00”N , 103°37’00”W , 22 September 2001 , P. Carrillo-Reyes & E.M. Guevara 2677 ( IBUG !) .