§2 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF _ (Linea. 
tains. At the foot of the hills, and at moderate elevations within them, are found the 
different species, L. Cicanoba, trigynum, repens, and tetragynum, which are all distin- 
guished by the showiness of their flowers, are closely allied among themselves, and differ 
from the rest of the genus. Mr. Bentham suggests that L. repens is only a variety of 
L. Cicanoba. This I have found varying so much, that even L. trigynum, of which the 
older leaves, as Dr. Roxburgh mentions, are serrate, may be a variety of it, as well as 
L. tetragynum. ; 
In the plains of India, Linum usitatissimum is found every where in a cultivated state 
in the cold weather months. This plant, so well known for the tenacity of the flax 
yielded by its fibrous bark, from which, in the present, as in the most ancient times, 
linen cloth was manufactured, and which is subsequently converted into paper, is 
valuable also for the mucilage yielded to water, and the oil to pressure, the first by 
the covering, and the other by the almond of its seed; while the residue forms an oil- 
cake fit for the food of cattle. Flax, extensively cultivated in Europe, is imported into 
England, chiefly from Russia; and linseed from both America and Holland. In Egypt, 
as in ancient times, it is much cultivated in the present day; it must long have been 
introduced into India, probably from the northward ; but its names do not give us any 
assistance in tracing it to its source; as the Sanscrit atasee, Hindee atees, Bengalee 
mushina, have no resemblance to the Hebrew pishtah, Arabie akshoot, Greek awey, or 
Persian kutan. The latter, remarkable for its resemblance to gootn or kutun, the Arabic 
name of cotton, but this is written with the Arabic, and the former with the Persian 
kaf. In India, the flax is cultivated only on account of its seed, of which the mucilage 
is valued as ademulcent in medicine, and the oil in the arts; but the plant, which in 
other countries is most valued, is there thrown away; and others, such as Hibiscus 
cannabinus and Crotalaria cannabina, are cultivated almost in the same field, for the very 
products which this would yield. It seems worthy of experiment, therefore, to ascertain 
whether a valuable product might not be added to the Indian agriculturist’s profits, 
without much additional expense. Flax having been manufactured into linen cloth, 
both by the Egyptians and the Hebrews, as we learn from the sacred writings, as well 
as from Herodotus, and know from the mummies being exclusively, as far as hitherto 
ascertained, wrapped up in linen clothing, it is curious that the practice of converting 
flax into linen should not have passed into India. This, I conceive, can easily be 
accounted for by the latter possessing the cotton plant, of which the weavable portion 
is more obvious, elegant, and well suited to the climate. 
I have the pleasure of annexing, from Mr. Bentham, an improved character of 
L. Mysurense, which, as above mentioned, is found in several parts of India. 
3 Linum Mysurense (Heyne. Benth. in Bot. Reg. 16. ad calc. n. 1826), 
alternis basi attenuatis, inferioribus ovatis obtu 
corymbosis, sepalis ovatis acutiusculis m 
basi connatis.—Affine L. gallico, 
glabrum, erectum, foliis 
sis, superioribus oblongis acutis, floribus paniculato- 
argine subciliatis, petalis calycem breviter superantibus, stylis 
differt sepalis acutiusculis nec acuminatis, petalis brevioribus. 
22. MALVACEZ. 
