LiNVM. XXVI. LINACEjE. 19S 



ELATINE. 



Gr. cXarri, fir; from the resemblance of the slender leaves of some speeics. 



Stigmas sessile, minute. 



E. Americaxa. Am. (Cr3T5ta minima. Nutt. Peplys AmericEina. Ph.) 

 Mud Purslatie.-^St. diffuse, procumbent, striate, rooting from the joints, 



with assurgent branches; lis. cuneate-oval or obovate, obtuse, entire; st/y. 0; 



Sep., pet., sta. and stis. 2 — 3, as well as the cells and valves of the capsule; slip. 



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



Flowers axillary, sessile, solitary-. Corolla minute, closed. Jl. — Sep, 



Order XXVI. LINAGE^.— Flaxworts. 



Plnnts herbaceous or suffrutescent. 



Lv3. entire, ses-sile, alternate, sometimes nearly opposite, without stipules. 



Fls. terminal, u-sually in corymbs or panicles, regular and symmelricij. 



Cai.— Sepals 3, 4 or 5, distinct, or more or Ices united,- [estivation strongly imbricated. 



Cor. —Petals equal in number to sepals, hypogynous, unguirulaie ; estivation twisted. 



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



(yoa. of as many cells as sepals or styles. Stig. capitate. 



Sds. solitary in each cell, compressed, suspended. Albumen 0. 



Genera 3, species 90. A very important order in the art.s. The Linum has a very tenacious fibre in 

 ita bark, which is wrought into Uiread and clolli, formuig the ii7ic» of commerce. Some species are 

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



LINUM. 



Celtic Hfn, a thread ; hence Xtvov, Eng. linen, S&x. 



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. Stijf-leaved Max. 



St. angular, branching; lis. alternate, rigid, linear, acute ;/5. panicled ; 

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

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

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

 high, erect, with many snberect branches' above. Leaves 4 — 7" by J — 1", sca- 

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



2. L. ViRGiNiiNUM. Virginian Flax. 



St. branching above, erect ; lis. 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 calvx.— (i) Woods, hills, &c., U. S. and Can. Stem about 

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

 di.stinct vein. Flowers 4 — 6" diam., yellow, on short pedicels. Sepals 1- 

 veined. Jl. 



p.? diffusum. Wood. — St. angular, diffusely branched ; branches aad lanceolate 

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

 different in habit and inay prove a new species. 



3. L. usiTATissiMUM. Common Flax. 



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

 corjTnbose ; sep. ovate, acute, 3-veined at the ba.se, membranaceous on the mar- 

 gin ; pet. crenate. — (T) 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 linen. The 

 seeds yield linseed oil, so extensively used in mixing paint, printers' ink, &c. 

 They are also medicinal. ^ j^ 



4. L. PERENNE. Perennial Ma.r.— Glabrous, with virgate branches; lys. linear, 



acute, scattered ; /.s. supra-axillary and terminal; sepals oval, margins rnem- 



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



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



17* 



