N 



L 



'3- LiNuM {Calharticum) foliis oppofitis ovato-lanceo- 

 latisj caule dichotomo, corollis acutis. Ilort. Cliff. 

 ^72. Flax ivith jfear-Jhcped leaves placed oppcfite^ a 

 Jlalk divided by pairs^ and acute petals to the fo^jjer. 

 Linum pratenfe, flofculis exiguis. C. B. P. 214. Mea- 

 dow Flax voith fmall flowers^ commonly called Mountain 

 Flax. 

 14. Linum {Maritimitni) calycibus ovatis acutis muticis, 

 foliis lanceolatisinferioribus oppofitis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 

 280. Flax with ovaU acute^ chaffy empalements^ and 

 fpear-Jhaped leaves^ the lower of which grow oppojtte. 

 Linum maritimum luteum. C. B. P. 214. Tellow ma- 

 ritime Flax, 



The firfl fort is the Flax which is cultivated in moft 

 parts of Europe, but particularly in the northern parts; 

 this is an annual plant, which ufually rifes with a (len- 

 der unbranched ftalk a foot and a half high, gar- 

 nifhed with narrow fpear-fhaped leaves placed alter- 

 nate, ending in acute points, and are of a gray co- 

 lour. The flowers are produced on the top of the 

 ftalks, each ftalk fuftaining four or five blue flowers, 

 compofed of five petals, which are narrow at their 

 bafe, but broad at the top, where they are flightly 

 crenated. The empalement of the flower is cut into 

 five parts, which end in acute points. The flowers 

 appear in June, and are fucceeded by roundifli cap- 

 fules which have ten cells, opening with five valves, 

 which are terminated by acute points •, each cell con- 

 tains one fmooth flattifh feed, ending in a point, of 

 a brownifh colour. The feeds ripen in September, 

 and the plants foon after perifh. 

 When this plant is cultivated in the fields after the 

 ufual method, it feldom rifes higher than is before 

 mentioned ; nor do the ftalks branch out, but when 

 they are allowed more room « they will rife more than 

 two ittt high, and put out two or three fide branches 

 toward the top, efpecially if the foil is pretty good 



ere it is fown. ^ - ., ^ 



• The fecond fort differs from the firft, in having 



ftronger and fliorter ftalks branching out much more. 



The leaves are broader, the flowers are larger,'and the 



^ -petals are Indented at their exfremiries. The feed- 



■ veffels are alfo mucTi' larger, and the foot-ftalks are 



: longer \ thefe differences are lafting, for I have culti- 



- rated this and the common Flax on the fame ground 



, upward of thirty years, and have never found either 



of them alter. - ■"*: " 



- ■- L 



The third fort grows naturally in the fouth of France, 

 in Italy, and Spain ; this rifes from a foot to eighteen 

 inches hip;h, branchine; out almoft to the bottom into 

 many long flender branches, which are garniflied with 

 narrow, fpear-fliaped, acute-pointed leaves, placed 

 without order ; thefe are rough to the touch. The 



: 



flowers are produced at the end of the branches, al- 

 moft in form of an umbel; they are fmaller than 

 thofe of thd manured fort, and are of a pale blue co- 

 lour. The feed-veffels are much fmaller, and not fo 

 round. It flowers and feeds about the fame time as 

 the former. ' ' 'i? " ;.?^ 



jS-iV *; b 



*- 



The fourth fort grows naturally al3out Vienna and in 

 Hungary ; this fort feldom rifes more than a foot 

 high, with a flender ftalk, which divides into three 

 or four (lender naked foot-ftalks at the top, each 

 fuftaining two or three flowers, which are of a pale 

 blue colour. The ftalks are garniflied with fhort, 

 . narrow, briftly leaves, ftanding erect, which are rough " 

 on their outfide. ^ This flowers and feeds about the 



-t 



\. fame time as the former, and the plant foon after 



, decays. - - ? ; 



■There are two or three varieties of this, which differ 

 in the colour of their flowers, but in other relpefts 

 are the fame, ■ . ' 



The fifth fort grows naturally in fome parts of Eng- 

 land,^ particularly in Cambridgelhire ; this hath a 

 perennial foot, from which arife three or four in- 

 clining ftalks, garniffied with (hort narrow leaves to- 

 ward their bafe, but upward have fcarce any. The 

 flowers are produced at the end of t\\t ftalks, fitting 

 very clofe ; they are of a blue colour, and about the 



^fize of thofe of the manured kind, and are fucceeded 



by pretty large round feed-veffels, ending in acute 

 points. This flowers about the {'in\t time as the 

 common Flax, but the roots will continue four or fi'^ 

 years. 



The fixth fort grows naturally in Siberia; it hatli a 

 perennial root, from which arife fevcnil ftrono- Ihlks 

 in number proportional to the fize of the roor^ and in 

 height according to the gcodncfs of the foil v/hcreic 

 grows i for in rich moift ground they will rife near 

 five feet high, but in middling ground about three 

 feet i thefe divide into feveral branches upward, and 

 are garniflied with narrow fpear-fliaped leaves, placed 

 alternate ; they are not much more than an inch Ion 



and an eighth of an inch broad, of a deep green, ending 

 in acute points. The flovv^ers are produced at the 

 end of the branches, forming a kind of umbel the 

 ftalks rifing nearly of the fam.e height. The flowers 

 are large, and of a fine^lue colour •, thefe appear in 

 June, and are fucceeded by obtufe fecd-veffels, which 

 ripen in September. 



The feventh fort grows naturally in Spain, from 

 whence I received the feeds ; this hath a perennial 

 root, from whence come out feveral trailino- ftalks 

 which are clofely garniflied with leaves -, thefe never 

 rife much from the ground, but between thefe come 

 out upright ftalks, which rife upward of two feet hi^h, 

 garniflied with pretty long, narrow, fpear-fliaped 

 leaves, placed without order. The flowers grow in 

 a fort of panicle toward the upperpart of the branches; 

 they are about the fize of thole of the common fort, ^ 

 and are of the fame colour. It flowers and ripens its 

 feeds about the fame time, and the roots continue fe- 



r 



veral years. 



The eighth fort I received from Iftria-, this hath abi- 



• ennial root, from which arife tvro or three ftalks, 

 which divide into feveral branche^^ ?,t about fix inches 

 from the root, which divide again into fmaller toward 

 the top ; they are garnifhed with fliort, narrow, acute- 



'' pointed leaves, placed alternately. The flowers come 

 out from the fide of the branches, ftanding upon lonf^ 

 foot-ftalks. The empalement of the flower is coq- 

 pofed of five broadilh leaves ending in aci.ite points, 

 which fpread open ; the flowers are of the fame fize 

 and colour as the common Flax, and appear at the 

 fame feafon. The feeds ripen in the autumn, and the 

 roots abide feveral years. 



The ninth fort grows naturally in Hungary and Au- 

 ftria; this hath a perennial root, from which arife 

 feveral ftalks near two feet high, which arc thick, 

 firm, and hairy, dividing at the top into feveral 

 branches, and are garniflied with broader leaves than 

 the other fpccies, which are hairy. The flowers 

 grow along the Ilalks alternately ; they are large, 

 and of a deep blue colour, appearing at the iame time 



with the common fort, and the feeds ripen in the 

 autumn. / - - ^' ? -'' 



The tenth fort grows naturally in Germany and the 

 foiuh of France, amongil the Corn. This is an annual 

 plant, rifing with an upright ftalk near a foot and a 

 half high, garnifhed with fpear-fhaped aciite-poinred 

 leaves, which are rough on their e^gc^ ; they are 

 about the fame length of thefe of :he common Flax, 

 but a little broader, placed alternately. 



taining two or three yellow flov/ers, fftnng in 



The ftalks- 



divide toward the top into feveral branches, each fuf- 



Ipear- 



ftiafed'acute-pointed empalements: "Theie appear in 

 July, butunlefs the autumn proves Favourable, the 



feeds never ripen in England. 



The eleventh fort grows naturally in Spain \ the feeds 

 of it were fent me from Madrid by Dr. Hortega. This 

 hath a fhrubby ftalk which rifes a foot high, fending 

 out feveral branches wjiich are garniflied v/ith very 

 narrow leaves coming out in cluftersi but the flowering 

 branches are garniflied with broader and longer leaves, 

 placed alternately at every joint. The flowers are pro- 

 duced at the end of the branches, ftanding erect upon 

 long flender foot-ftalks ; they have acute-poinced eni- 

 palements. The petals of the flower are large, entire, 

 and white, but before the flowers open, they are of a 

 pale yellow colour^ Thefe flowers appear in July, 



- 4 ^^^ 



