Fairy flax
Linum catharticum
Family: Linaceae
Fire effect on plant
Fairy flax will likely be killed by fire.
Key traits
Fairy flax is an annual plant of dry grasslands that survives unfavourable conditions, such as fire as seed in the soil. Fairy flax showed a significant increase in cover in burn plots the year following fire in a Derbyshire grassland (Lloyd 1972). This is probably as a response to a more open habitat, rather than a direct response to fire (i.e. heat/smoke stimulated germination; Lloyd 1972). There is no specialised dispersal mechanisms in these species meaning dispersal distances are low (0.1-1m; Lososová et al. 2023).
Plant response to fire
Fairy flax shows increased abundance after fire, and may require fire or other disturbance to create the conditions suitable for germination.
Timing of life history
Annual species. Seeds produced within one growing season. Flowering May to September.
Conservation status
None.
References
Lloyd, P. S. 1972. Effects of Fire on a Derbyshire Grassland Community. Ecology 53: 915–920. [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Lososová, Z., Axmanová, I., Chytrý, M., Midolo, G., Abdulhak, S., Karger, D.N., Renaud, J., Van Es, J., Vittoz, P. and Thuiller, W. 2023. Seed dispersal distance classes and dispersal modes for the European flora. Global Ecology and Biogeography 32: 1485–1494 [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]