7 



3<=>4. 



> 



THE root IS annual : the flalk is ered:, round, imootli, hvmchcS 

 towards the top, and riles about a foot and a half in height :* the 

 branches are fnnple, aUernate, and terminated by the flowers which 

 are foUtary, and of a fky-blue colour : the leaves are lance-'lhaped 

 acute, feflile, fmooth, glaucous,- vertical, and alternately fcattered 

 over the flalk and. branches : the calyx is divided into five fegments 

 which are femi-lance-fhaped, pointed, and flightly fringed with fm all 

 hairs : the corolla is funnel-fhaped, confifling of five petals which 



ge, obovate, flriated, and minutely Icolloped at their extremities 



/ 



the filaments are five, tapering, upright, about the lenp-th^ of the 



calyx, united at the bafe, and crowned with fimple anthers : the 

 germen is oval : the five flyles are filiform^, ered, of the length of 



/ . 



F 



the filaments, and furnifhed with blunt fligmata : the 

 globular, divided into five valves, and ten cells : the feeds are folitary, 

 gloffy, ^ and of a fiattifh oval fhape. It is a native of Britain, and 

 grows in corn fields and fandy paftures : the flowers appear in July, 

 /'lax ^ is an article of fuch extenfive utility for various oeconomical 

 purpofes, that the plant which furnifhes it has obtained the trivial 

 name of ufitatifhmum ; and when it is confidered that its feeds afford an 

 oil^ equally ufeful in arts and in medicine,, it may well be deemed m 

 objed of national importance. Seafible of this, the Society for the 

 Encouragement of Arts, Manufadures, and Commerce, has laudably 



deavoured to promote and extend th 



of this plant 



Britain, and not without fuccefs. - But flill the greatefl part of Flax 

 and Linfeed ufed in this country is the growth of the northern parts 

 of Europe, where it is cultivated mofl abundantly. , . * 



" The feeds have an unduous mucilaginous fweetifh tafle, but no 

 reniarkable fmell ; on exprefTion, they yield a' large quantity of oil, 

 which, when carefully drawn without the application of heat, has no 



» It is remarked by Hafelquift, that in Egypt this plant rifes with a flrong ftem to the 



h 



4¥ 



b 



^efa til hel. Landet. p 



The bark of the plant'is compofed 



fib 



o J — ". f'""'-"' v-wixipuicu »n uuiiierous imaii rougn longitudinal nores, con- 



nected together with a glutinous matter which is diirolved by maceration in water, 

 leaving the naked fibres, which are then to be dried and beaten, by which means the inner 

 membranous parts are eafily feparated ; after this it is combed, and fit to be fpun into 

 thread.—it has been obferved that the water in which this bark has been macerated, 

 becomes poifonous to cattle, and on this account the pradlce of keeping it in any 

 running Itream or common pond, was prohibited by Statute 33d Henry VIII. cap. 17. 



•i ^ 



part 



