L Inum LIXACE.K 159 



LINUM L. 



Herbs, sometimes shrubby. Leaves sessile, narrow. Stipules 

 wanting or represented by glands. Staminodal glands opposite 

 the petals. Ovary generally -3-celled ; ovules 2 in each cell ; 

 styles generally 5. Capsule septicidally 5-valved, 5-celled. 

 Endosperm scanty. 



Species about 90, natives of temperate and subtropical 

 regions of the whole world, ascending to the mountains in the 

 tropics of the Xew World. 



L. jamaicense comb. noc. ; Cathartolinum jamaicense Small 

 In Tun-cya xiii. 63 (1913). (Fig. 50.) 



Amongst grasses, in damp places, Crofts Hill to the savannas on the 

 northern slopes of Bull Head, Clarendon, 2000 ft. ; Hollis's savanna, 

 Upper Clarendon, 2400 ft. ; Harris ! PI. Jam. 11,159, 12,243. 



Perennial herbs, 9 ins. to 2 ft. high. Stem erect, slender, glabrous, 

 generally simple. Leaves more or less erect, 6-12 mm. L, linear. Flowers 

 in interrupted spike-like racemes. Sepals about 3 mm. 1., outer lanceo- 

 late, without glands, inner narrowly elliptical, often minutely glandular- 

 toothed. Petals yellow, 4 -5-7 '5 mm. L, very fugacious. Staminodia 

 wanting. Capsule globular-ovoid, longer than the sepals. 



FAMILY XLIII. ERYTHROXYLACE^. 



Glabrous shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, simple, entire. 

 Flowers white, one to several, in axils of leaves, sometimes 

 appearing before the leaves, regular, perfect but sometimes 

 anthers or pistil infertile : parts in 5's. Calyx persistent ; seg- 

 ments 5, imbricate. Petals 5, free, deciduous, generally with a 

 ligule at the base. Stamens 10, filaments united below into 

 a cup. Ovary 3-celled, with 1 or 2 pendulous ovules in each 

 cell. Styles 3, usually with terminal capitate stigmas. Fruit 

 drupaceous. Seed generally with endosperm ; embryo straight. 



Species nearly I'OO, natives of the West Indies and tropical 

 and subtropical S. America, and Africa, ve-ry few in the East 

 Indies and Australia. 



ERYTHROXYLON L. 



Stipule one, within the petiole, persistent, occurring frequently 

 though the leaf is undeveloped, broadly triangular (lanceolate 

 in E. obov(.itum), --ridged. Flowers often dimorphic, hetero- 

 styled. Calyx: segment- triangular. Petal consisting of a 

 blade and a daw, with a broad scale or ligule attached on the 

 inside where the blade and claw unite. Ovary 3-celled with 



