450 LINE. 
slightly monadelphous at the base, alternating with the petals, 
with a tooth or abortive filament between each (f. 82. e.); 
anthers ovate, inserted by the base, 2-celled, birimose. 
Ovary sub-globose (f. 82. c.) with as many cells as there are 
sepals, rarely fewer. Styles equal in number to the cells of 
the ovary (f. 82. d.), capitate, or simple at the apex. Capsule 
globose, usually acuminate (f. 82. c.), crowned by the permanent 
bases of the styles (f. 82. d.), constantly composed of carpels hav- 
ing induplicate margins, each opening by 2 valves at the apex, with 
an incomplete dissepiment rising from the centre of each, there- 
fore each carpel is divided into two incomplete cells, containing 
two seeds, one in each cell. Seeds ovate, compressed, shining, 
inverted, Albumen sparing, but usually wanting, but instead there 
is always a fleshy tumid endopleura. Embryo straight, flat, with 
the radical turned towards the hilum, and with elliptical coty- 
ledons. This order differs from Caryophyllee by the capsule 
being formed by the cohesion of several, half 2-celled, 2-seeded 
carpels. It is composed of herbs or subshrubs bearing yellow, 
blue, or white fugacious petals, and with entire exstipulate 
leaves. Flowers always disposed in racemose corymbs or panicles. 
The plants are of immense importance to the world, on account 
of the tenacity of their fibres, when made into flax. The seeds 
are oily. The leaves of Linum cathdrticum and L. selaginoides 
are purgative. 
Synopsis of the genera. 
1 Lrnum. Sepals 5, entire (f. 82. a.). Petals 5 (f. 82. b.) 
Stamens 5 (f. 82. e.). Styles 5 (f. 82. d.), rarely 1 or 3. 
2 Raprora. Sepals 4, joined almost to the middle, trifid at 
the apex. Petals 4. Stamens 4. Styles 4. 
I. LI! NUM (from Llin, a thread, in Celtic, whence Nov in 
Greek, and linum in Latin). Bauh. Vaill. Lin. Roem. et Schult. 
syst. 6. p. 736. D.C. prod. 1. p. 423. 
Lin. syst. Pentdndria, Pentagynia. Flowers with a quinary 
proportion of parts. Sepals entire. Styles very rarely 3, but 
generally 5 (f. 82. d.) as well as sepals (f. 82. a.), petals (f. 
82. b.), and stamens (f. 82. e.). 
$1. 
1 L. Ga’txicum (Lin. spec. 401.) plant glabrous, usually of 
many stems ; leaves alternate, linear-lanceolate ; flowers in loose 
forked panicles; pedicels length of calyx; sepals ciliated at 
the base, awl-shaped at the top; petals blunt, twice as long as 
the calyx. ©. H. Native on hills from France to Iberia. 
Smith, fl. græc. t. 303.—Ger. gallo-prov. t. 16. f. 1. 
Var. B, medium (D. C. prod. 1, p. 423.) branches rather an- 
gular; leaves serrulately-scabrous on the margins. ©. H. 
Native of Portugal on calcareous hills and heathy mountains 
about Coimbra and elsewhere. 
French Flax. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1777. Pl. 3 to 1 foot. 
2 L. av’xeum (Walds. et Kit. pl. hung. 2. t. 177.) plant 
glabrous, erect; leaves alternate, linear-lanceolate; flowers in 
Jax, panicled corymbs; pedicels 2 or 3-times longer than the 
calyx; sepals rather ciliated at the base, awl-shaped at the 
apex ; petals emarginate, twice as long as the calyx; styles 
distinct. ©. H. Native of Hungary and Croatia in grassy 
places. L. Libúrnicum, Scop. carn. ed. 2. no. 385. Styles 3. 
Golden Flax. Fl. July. Clt. 1820. Pl. 4 foot. 
3 L. seta ceum (Brot. phyt. no. 22. t. 6.) plant puberulous, 
erect; leaves alternate, crowded, linear-awl-shaped, somewhat 
Flowers yellow. 
I. Linum. 
serrately scabrous; flowers in panicled corymbs ; pedicels length 
of the calyx; sepals awl-shaped, ciliated at the base; petals 
twice as long as sepals; styles distinct. ©. H. Native of 
Portugal on calcareous hills near Coimbra, also of Mauritania. 
L. Brotéri, Willd. mss. in Schult. syst. 6. p. 758. L. tenui- 
folium, Schousb. 
Var. B, bicolor ; flowers yellow, with a blue base and striped 
with purple. Native of the north of Africa near Tangiers. L. 
bicolor, Schousb. maroc. 135. L. tenuifdlium 6, Willd. spec. 1. 
p. 1536. L. tenuifolium ĝ, bicolor, Pers. ench. 1. p. 335. 
Anl-shaped-leaved Flax. Fl. June, July. Pl. 4 to 1 foot. 
4 L. ericerorpes (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 132.) smooth, simple, 
erect; leaves alternate, crowded, - linear, very acute, with 2 
glands at the base; panicle somewhat corymbose ; sepals hardly 
crenulated; petals twice the length of the calyx; style free; 
stigmas small. h).G. Native of Brazil in the province of Cis- 
platine. 
Erigeron-like Flax. Shrub 1 foot. 
5 L. uirrora Le (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 133.) smooth; stems 
numerous, erect; leaves linear, erect, smooth, upper ones alter- 
nate; flowers panicled; sepals acute, hardly crenate, much 
shorter than the sepals. 2.8. Native of Brazil. Styles free; 
stigmas small. Petals 3 times longer than the sepals. 
Shore Flax. Shrub 1 foot. 
6 L. sv’nceum (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 134. t. 24.) smooth ; 
stems erect, twiggy; leaves remote, short, appressed, linear, 
acute ; flowers panicled ; sepals acute. h .S. Native of Brazil. 
Flowers subglomerate-; petals twice the length of the calyx. 
Rushy Flax. Shrub 2 inches. ` 
7 L. te'Nue (Desf. atl. 1. p. 280. t. 81.) plant glabrous, 
erectish ; leaves alternate, linear, acute ; flowers in lax, panicled 
racemes ; pedicels hardly the length of the calyx ; sepals mu- 
cronate ; petals rather retuse, 4-times longer than the calyx. 
©. H. Native of Algiers on uncultivated hills. L. virga- 
tum, Schousb. mar. 1. p.136. L. meliánthum, Brot. fl. lus. 1. 
p. 484. ex Link. Flowers about the size of those of common 
flax. Branches of panicle dichotomous. 
Slender Flax. Fl. June, July. Pl. 4 to 3 foot. 
8 L. LuTE‘oLum (Bieb. fl. taur. 1. p. 256.) plant glabrous, 
erect; stem angular; leaves alternate and opposite the flowers, 
linear, acute, and are as well as the sepals serrulated ; branches 
of panicle dichotomous; pedicels very short ; petals twice as 
long as the calyx; styles distinct; stigmas not capitate. ©. H. 
Native of Tauria.and Iberia in sunny fields.—Buxb. cent. 5. 
t.59. Leaves with 2-glands at the base. 
Yellowish-flowered Flax. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1820. Pl. 4 ft. 
FIG. 82. 
9 L. NopirLo‘rum (Lin. spec. 
401.) plant glabrous; leaves lan- 
ceolate, smooth, furnished with 2 
glands at'the base of each, lower 
ones alternate, floral ones opposite ; 
branches of panicle dichotomous ; 
pedicels very short ; calyx length 
of leaves ; styles distinct ; stigmas 
not capitate. h.H. Native of 
Italy and the islands of the Archi- 
pelago.—Moris, oxon. sect. 5. t. 
26. f. 11. Sibth. and Smith, fl. 
grec. t. 307. (f. 82.). 
Knotted-flowered Flax. Fl. July, 
Aug. Clt.1759. Pl.ito3 ft. | 
10 L. srrictum(Lin. spec. 400.) 
plant glabrous, erect; leaves linear- . 1 
lanceolate, straight, and are as well as the much-pointed sepa 
roughly ciliated; panicle corymbose, crowded ; pedicels very 
short; petals length of calyx ; styles distinct. ©. H. Native 
of the south of Europe and the north of Africa in sandy fields. 
