Bitter Flax vs Grooved Flax

Linum catharticum compared with Linum sulcatum

Key Differences

• Bitter Flax is Endangered while Grooved Flax is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Flax	Grooved Flax
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family same	Linaceae	Linaceae
Genus same	Linum	Linum
Species	Linum catharticum	Linum sulcatum

Evolutionary Relationship

Bitter Flax and Grooved Flax share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Linum.

Conservation Status

Bitter Flax

EN — Endangered

Grooved Flax

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Flax	Grooved Flax
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Flax

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina, Chile). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Grooved Flax

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Bitter Flax

The Bitter Flax (Linum catharticum) is a species in the genus Linum. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States