LiNUM. XXVI. LINACEiE. 195 



ELATINE. 



Gr. cXart], fir; from tlic rest mblance of the slender leaves of Rome species. 



Stigmas sessile, miuutc. 



E. AiMERicANA. Am. ("Crypta niinima. Null. Pcplys Americana. Ph.) 

 Mud^Purdanc. — St. diliuse, procumbent, striate, rooting from the joints, 



with assurgent branches; lv$. cuneate-oval or obovate, obtu.se, entire ; sVy.Q\ 



acp.^pei., sta. and .<?//<,•■. 2 — S, a.s well as the cells and valves of the capsule; slip. 



very minute. — A small mud plant, on tiie borders of ponds and rivers ! U. S. 



Flowers axillary, sessile, solitary. Corolla minute, clo.sed. Jl. — Sep. 



Order XXVI. LINAGE^.— Flaxworts. 



PUmts herbaceous or suflrutescent. 



Lvs. entire, sessile, alternate, sometimes nearly opposite, without stipules. 



Fk. terminal, usually in corymbs or panicles, regular and symmetrical. 



Cfl/.— Sepals 3, 4 or 5, distinct, or more or less united; asstivation strongly imbricated. 



Cor. —Petals equal in number to sepals, hypogynous, unguiculate ; aestivation twisted. 



Sta. 3, 4 or 5, united at base into a hypogynous ring, which is often toothed, opposite the petals. 



Ova. of as many cells as sepals or styles. Stig. capitate. 



Sdn- solitao' in each cell, compressed, suspended. Albumen 0. 



Ck^nera 3, species 90. A very important order in the arts. The Linum has a very tenacious fibre in 

 its bark, which is wrought into Uiread and cloth, forming the imf/j of commerce. Some species are 

 calhiirtic, and yield from their seeds a fuie mucilage. Only one genus need be mentioned here, viz. : 



LINUM. 



Celtic /Zi«, a tliread ; hence Ajvoj', Bug. linen,^ax. 



Sepals, petals, stamens and styles 5, the latter rarely 3 ; capsules 

 5-celled ; cells nearly divided by a false dissepiment. (Fig. 11., No. 4.) 



1. L. RiGiDUM. Stiff-leaved Max. 



St. angular, branching ; lvs. alternate, rigid, linear, acute ; fis. panicled ; 

 sep. ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, and with the bracts, glandularly fimbriate- 

 serrate on the margins ; caps, globose, shorter than the calyx. — ® Near New 

 Haven, Conn., Bobbins! R. I., found by the Prov. Hot. Assoc. Stem 10 — 16' 

 high, erect, with many suberect branches above. Leaves 4 — 1" by \ — V\ sca- 

 brous on the margin. Sepals 3-veined. Flowers 6 — 8" diam., sulphur-yellow. 



2. L. ViRGiNiANUM. Virginian Flax. 



St. branching above, erect ; lvs. alternate, linear-lanceolate, those of the 

 root oblong, upper ones acute ; panicles corymbose, terminal, with the flowers 

 racemose on the branches ; sep. broad-ovate, mucronate ; caps, depressed, scarce- 

 ly longer than the calyx. — (i) Woods, hills, &c., U. S. and Can. Stem about 

 2f high, slender, leafy, terete, glabrous. Leaves 6 — 10'' by 1 — 2", with one 

 distinct vein. Flowers 4 — 6" diam., yellow, on short pedicels. Sepals l- 

 veined. Jl. 



/?.? diffusum. Wood. — St. angular, diffusely branched ; branches and lanceolate 

 lvs. spreading ; fls. very small (scarcely 2" diam.) — Wet prairies, la. ! Gluite 

 different in habit and may prove a new species. 



3. L. usiTATissiMUM. Comvion Flax. 



St. branching above ; lvs. alternate, linear-lanceolate, acute ; panicle 

 corymbose ; scp. ovate, acute, 3-veined at the base, membranaceous on the mar- 

 gin ; pet. crenate. — (D Introduced and somewhat naturalized in fields. Stem 1 — 2f 

 high, with 3-veined leaves, and many large, handsome, blue flowers. Jn. Jl. — 

 This important plant has been cultivated from remote antiquity, (see Gen. xli. 

 42 ) for the strong fibres of the bark, which are manufactured into liiicji. The 

 seeds yield linseed oil, so exten.sively used in niLxing paint, printers' ink, &c. 

 They are also medicinal. ^ ij: 



4. L. PERENNE. Perennial Flax. — Glabrous, with virgate branches ; lvs. linear, 

 acute, scattered; ^.'?. supra-axillary and terminal; sepals oval, margins mem- 

 branaceous, shorter than the globose capsule ; petals retuse, blue, 3 or 4 times 

 the length of the sepals. — % Native West of the Miss, (perhaps not within the 

 17* 



