GERANlACEJi;. 70 GERANIDM. 



ORDER XXVII. LlNACEiE. The Flax Tribe. 



Oil— Sepals 3, 4 or 5, distinct, or more or less united ; aestivation stron-jly imbricated. 

 Cor. — Petals equal in number to sepals, hypogynous, uiig-uieulate ; ajestivation twisted. 

 fSta — :3. 4 or 5, united at base into a hypogj-nous'ring-, which is often toothed, opposite the p3t. 

 Oca.— Of as many cells as sepals or styles. Stigma capitate. 

 Sds. — Solitary in each cell, compressed. 



An order containing only a very few herbaceous plants or small .shrubs, yet a very im- 

 portant one in the arts. The Linum has a very tenacious fibre in its bark, which is wrought 

 into thread and clutli, forming the ^/ne?! of commerce. Some species arc cathartic, and yield 

 from their seeds a fine mucilage. Only one genus need be mentioned here, \-iz : 



LINUM. 



Sepal.s, petals and slarnens 5; styles 5, rarely 3 ; capsule 5- 

 celled, cells nearly divided by a false dissepiment. 



Gr. Xivov, flax, which is from Uin in Celtic, signifying a thread. 



1. L. Virginia'n'jm. 



Calyx leaves acute ; pa7iicles coryn)bose, terminal ; Jloicers remoie , alternate ; 

 leaves alternate, oblong-lanceolate, those of the root ovate. Woods, &c. Stem 

 slender, leafy, 1 — 3 feet high, ascending, bearing at top a thin panicle of small, 

 yellow flowers on short pedicels. Jl. Ann. yirginiaii or Wild Flax. 



2. L. USITATl'SSIMUM. 



CaZi/z Zcrtzjcs ovate, acute, 3-nerved; petals ere n?ite; Zcarcs lanceolate, alter- 

 nate ; stevi nearly solitary. This important plant has been cultivated from 

 the earliest antiquity, for the fibres of its bark, which when separated from 

 its woody stalk by the hrahe, and cleared from the tow by the hatchcl, is spun 

 into thread and woven into linen cloth. So ancient is ihe manufacture of linen, 

 that it appears to have been carried to great perfection in Egypt, in the times 

 of the Pharaohs, (Gen. 41: 42;) and mummies are there found at this da}', 

 enveloped in linen fabrics of great fineness and beauty, which can bo no less 

 than 3000 yeais old. The seeds yield the linseed oil, so extensively used in 

 mixing paint, printer's ink, ^-c. Native country unknown; perhaps it is in- 

 digenous to many. Stern 1 or 2 feet high, branching above, with 3-nerved 

 leaves, and bearing at top niany handsome blue flowers, Jn. Jl. Ann. Flax. 



ORDER XXVIII. GERANIACEiB. The Geranium Tribe. 



Col. — Sepals 5, persistent, ribbed, one sometimes saccate or spurred at base. 



Cor. — Petals 5, hypog>'nous or perigj-nous, unguiculate : aestivation twisted. 



Sta. — Usually monadelphous. hypogynous, twice or thrice as many as the petals. 



Ova. — 1 Of 3 united carpels, 2 ovuled, alternate wjtjj sepals, upon an elongated axis, from 



Fr.—i \ which tliey separate in fruit, curving upwards on the persistent style. 



A small order of herbaceous plants or shrubs, with tumid and separable joints. The 

 Cape of Good Hope is the favorite habitation of some of the most important genera. Most 

 species of the beautiful Pelargonia are native oj','that region alone. 



Conspectus of-M Genera. 



fall perfect, . . .'.'*; Garaniuvi. 1 



< .5 perfect, witli 5 shorter and imperfect, .... Erodium. 2 



Stamens 10. ( 7 perl'eet ; corolla irregular, Pelargonium. 3 



1. GERA'NIUM. 



Sepals and petals 5, regular; glands 5, nectariferous, uni- 

 ted to the base of the longer stamens; stamens 10, all perfect ; 



