1163 



LINUM* sibiricum; var. Lewisii 



North' West American Flax 



PENTANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. 

 LINUM 



L. — Flores proportione partium quinaria. Sepala Integra 

 Styli rarissim^ 3, cum petalis staminibus sepalisque 5. Decand. prodr 

 1. 423. 



L. sibiricum ; glabrum erectum elatum foliis linearibus acutis patulis, 

 sepalis ovalibus basi 5-nerviis, exterioribus acutiusculis interioribus 

 obtusissimis margine membranaceis, petalis integris calyce tripl6 quad- 

 ruplove majoribus. Dec. prodr. voL 1. p, 427. 

 L, perenne, var. sibirica. Linn. sp. 397. 

 L. austriacum. Bot. mag. t. 1086, not oi Linn. 

 Var. ; foliis glaucis, floribus majoribus. 

 L, Lewisii. Pursh.Jl. am. sept. 1. 210. 



Perenne^ glabrum^ glaucum. Caules erecti, pedales. Folia linearia, 

 utrinque acuta, patentia, aventa* Sepala ovata, acuta, basi 3-venia, in- 

 terioribus margins membranaceis. Petala pallid^ cceruleay apice rotundata, 

 Integra, calyce S-plb majora. 



A handsome, hardy perennial, native of the north-west " 

 country of North America, whence it was sent to the 

 Horticultural Society, in 1826, by Mr. Douglas. It is 

 about a foot or foot and half high ; and flowers during May, 

 June, and July. 



We have no doubt that Nuttall is right in referring this 

 to the Linum sibiricum, from which, judging from our 

 wild specimens from Dr. Fischer, it differs in nothing 

 except having larger flowers, and in being more glaucous. 

 The existence of the same plant in Siberia and north- 



* The A/yoy of the Greeks, which was probably the same as our common 

 flax, is derived by De Theis from the Celtic word llin, signifying a thread ; 

 whence comes linen in English, linge in French, and linum, with its deriva- 

 tives, in Latin. 



