LiNLM. XXVI. LINAGES. 195 



ELATINE. 



Gr. c\aTTi, fir; from the resemblance of the slender leaves of some species. 



Stigmas sessile, minute. 



E. Americana, Am. (Crjrpta minima. Nutt. Peplys Americana. PL) 

 Mud Purslane. — St. dimise, procumbent, striate, rooting from the joints, 



with assurgent branches; Ivs. cimeate-oval or obovate, obtuse, entire; sty. 0; 



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



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



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



Order XXVI. LINAGE^.— Flaxworts. 



Plants herbaceous or suffrutescent. 



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



Fie. terminal, usually in corymbs or panicles, regular and symmetricaJ. 



CflZ.— Sepals 3, 4 or 5, distinct, or more or less united ; a;stivation strongly imbricated. 



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



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



Genera 3, species 90. A very important order in the arts. The Liniim has a very tenacious fibre in 

 its bark, which is wrought into thread and cloth, forming the Zwen of commerce. Some species are 

 cathartic, ajid yield fi-om their seeds a fine mucilage. Only one genus need be mentioned here, viz. : 



LINUM. 



Celtic ?//rj, a thread ; hence Xij/oj', Eng. Ziwen.flax. 



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 ; Jls. panicled ; 

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

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

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

 high, erect, with many suberect branches above. Leaves 4 — 1" by i — \", 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. — Woods, hills, &c., U. S. and Can. Stem about 

 2f high, slender, leafy, terete, glal)rous. Leaves 6 — 10" by 1 — 2", with one 

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

 veined. Jl. 



/?.? diffusiim. Wood. — St. angular, diffusely branched; branches dindi lanceolaie 

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

 different in habit and may prove a new species. 



3. L. usiTATissiMiJM. Coninw7i Flax. 



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

 corymbose ; 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-vcined 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 mi.xing paint, printers' ink, &<'. 

 They are also medicinal. ^:|: 



4. L. PERENNK. Perennial Mux. — Glabrous, with virgate branches ; Its. linear, 

 acute, scattered; /."!. supra-axillary and terminal ; sepah oval, margins mem- 

 branaceous, shorter than the globo.*^e capsule ; petals retu.se, blue, 3 or 4 times 

 the length of the sepals. — 7| IVativc West of the Miss, (perhaps not within the 

 \1* 



