662 LINACEAE 
sule 5-celled, or rarely 2-celled, septicidally 5-valved, or rarely 2-valved, or separating into 
10 one-seeded carpels. Seeds flattened. FLAX. 
Corolla blue. 
Perennial : sepals much shorter than the capsule, the inner not ciliate: native specien d 
. L. Lewisii. 
Annual: sepals slightly shorter than the capsule, the inner ciliate: naturalized species. 
2. L. usitatissimum. 
Corolla yellow. 
Styles distinet. 
Inner and outer sepals entire, sometimes erose, but not glandular-toothed. 
Stems ridged, angled or winged. 3. L. striatum. 
Stems terete or essentially so. 4. L. Virginianum. 
Inner sepals glandular-toothed, outer sepals entire or toothed. 
Outer sepals entire: stipular glands wanting. 
Capsule spheroidal, shorter than the sepals: inner sepals with rela- 
tively short teeth. 5. L. medium. = 
Capsule ovoid, longer than the sepals: inner sepals with relatively long 
teeth. 6. L. Floridanum. 
Outer sepals glandular-toothed : stipular glands present. 7. L. rupestre. 
Styles more or less united. 
Capsules 10-valved : styles united below the middle. 
Sepals 2.5-3 mm. long, merely acute : filaments pubescent at the base, with- ; 
out interposed teeth. 8. L. Harperi. 
Sepals 4.5-6 mm. long, slenderly acuminate: filaments not pubescent at 
the base, with interposed teeth. 
Capsules 5-valved : styles united to near the apex. 
Sepals merely acuminate, serrulate or serrate, deciduous, the outer mostly 
over 5 mm. long. 
Outer sepals 5-7 mm. long. 
Sepals with wide coarsely toothed scarious margins, the outer ovate : 
to ovate-lanceolate. 10. L. marginatum. — 
Sepals with narrow, finely toothed margins, the outer lanceolate to 1 
oblong-lanceolate. 11. L. rigidum, 
Outer sepals 8-12 mm. long. 
Innersepalsslightly shorter than the outer, usually less than } shorter: me 
leaf-blades 1.5-4.5 mm. wide, acuminate. 12. L. Berlandieri. 
Inner sepals much shorter than the outer, usually over $ shorter: 
leaf-blades 5.5-7.5 mm. wide, mostly acute. 18. L. sanctum. 
Sepals abruptly cuspidate-awned beyond the broad scarious ciliolate mar- : 
gin, persistent, the outer mostly less than 5 mm. long. 14. L. multicaule. 
1. Linum Lewisii Pursh. Perennial by a woody rootstock, glabrous, glaucous. 
Stems often tufted, 2-7 dm. tall, branching above: leaves alternate, erect, or nearly 
so, often crowded; blades linear to oblong, 0.6-2 cm. long, acute or acutish, sessile : 
pedicels 1-2 em. long, drooping at maturity : sepals ovate or elliptic-ovate, or oval, 5-6 
mm. long, acute, 3-nerved, the inner not ciliate: capsule globose-ovoid, 7-9 mm. long, 
2-3 times longer than the sepals. 
In stony or dry soil, Alaska to Manitoba, Texas and Arizona. Summer. 
. 2. Linum usitatíssimum L. Annual, glabrous, deep green. Stems 2-8 dm. tall, 
simple or branching above, striate, somewhat angled above: leaves alternate, erect or as- 
cending ; blades linear or linear-lanceolate, 1-3 cm. long, acute, sessile, 3-nerved : sepals 
elliptic or elliptic-ovate, 5-7 mm. long, acuminate, 3-nerved at the base, the inner ciliate: 
corolla blue, 1.2-2 em. broad : capsules globose or depressed, 6-8 mm. long, often striate, 
slightly surpassing the sepals: seeds flattened. 
In waste places, along railroads, more or less common throughout the civilized world. Summer. 
3. Linum striatum Walt. Perennial, bright green, more or less viscid. Stems 
sometimes decumbent, 2-8 dm. tall, paniculately branched above, winged below the nodes 
and angled, the branches spreading: leaves opposite, except those in or near the inflores- 
cence ; blades thinnish, narrowly oblong or elliptic, 1-3 em. long, acute or obtuse, sessile : 
edicels as long as the calyx or longer: corolla pale yellow, 6-10 mm. broad: outer sep 
anceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm. long, acuminate, entire; inner sepals ovate is 
obovate or suborbicular, about 0.5 mm. shorter than the outer, erose-toothed near the a 
ruptly pointed apex : capsules depressed-globose, 2 mm. broad, surpassing the sepals. 
In or near swamps, Ontario to Arkansas, Florida and Texas. Summer. 
4. Linum Virginianum L. Annual or perennial, glabrous, often deep green. Bion 
2-6 dm. tall, often several together, corymbosely branched above, the branches lax, Rapes 
ing or drooping at the ends: leaves spreading or ascending ; blades thinnish, 1-3 cm. ins 
the lower ones opposite, spatulate to oblanceolate, the pt alternate, elliptic or elliptic 
oblanceolate, obtuse or acute, sessile: pedicels slender, i 
© 
. L. sulcatum. 
coming longer than the sepals : 
outer sepals lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 2-3.5 mm. long, entire, acuminate; 1nnet 
sepals rather broader and shorter than the outer, erose-toothed near the abruptly point 
apex: corolla sulphur-yellow, 10-12 mm. broad: capsules depressed, 2 mm. bere. 
longer than the sepals or equalling them. 
In dry soil and woods, Maine and Ontario, middle Georgia and Alabama. Summer. 
