Linaria is a genus of small passerine birds in the finch family (Fringillidae) that contains the twite and the linnets. The genus name linaria is the Latin for a linen-weaver, from linum, "flax".[1]
The species were formerly included in the genus Carduelis. A molecular phylogenetic study using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences published in 2012 found that the genus was polyphyletic.[2] It was therefore split into monophyletic genera and the twite and the linnets moved to the resurrected genus Linaria.[3] The name had originally been introduced in 1802 by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein.[4]
The genus contains four species:[3]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linaria flavirostris | northern Europe and across central Asia | ||
| Linaria cannabina | Common linnet | Europe, western Asia and north Africa | |
| Linaria yemenensis | Saudi Arabia and Yemen | ||
| Linaria johannis | Warsangli linnet | Somalia | |