PENTANDRIA— PENTAGYNIA. Linum. 117 



S. reticulata. Linn. Sp. PI. 394. JVilM. v.\.\ 526. Fl. Br. 342. 

 Engl. Bot. V. 5. t. 328. Hook. Scot. 97. Hill Fl. Br. t. 25. 

 /.2. 



On muddy sea shores,, chiefly on the eastern coast of England. 



In salt marshes, all along the northern coast of Norfolk, very 

 abundant J also near Wisbeach. Eugl. Bot. 



Found by Mr. Goldie, at the Mull of Galloway, on the west coast 

 of Scotland. Hooker. 



Perennial. July, August. 



Root strong and woody. Leaves smM, spatulate, stalked. Flowev' 

 stalks prostrate, dotted all over, which is most visible in dry spe- 

 cimens, very much branched, spreading, zigzag and entangled, 

 with an ovate, sharp, membranous hractea at each divarication. 

 Barren branches often reflex.ed. Spikes simple, terminal, nume- 

 rous, each of a few purpl'ish-hlue Jlowers, bracteated like the 

 last. 



The history of the foreign species of Statice is so little understood, 

 that I am cautious in quoting synonyms. The present plant is 

 not unlike the figures of Linioniuni parvum in Lobel and Gerarde, 

 see .S. Limonium (5 ; but it docs not answer to Ray's observa- 

 tion, made " in the royal garden at St. James's," of the leaves 

 being bordered down to the root, so as to have really no foot- 

 stalks. 



180. LINUM. Flax. 



Linn.Gen.\o3. Juss.303. Fl.Br. 342. Tourn.t.\76. Lam. t. 219. 

 Gcertn. t.\\2. 



Nat. Ord. Gruinales. Linn. 14. Akin to Caryopliyllea:. 

 Juss. 82. LinecE. DeCand. 15. 



Cal. inferior, of 5 lanceolate, erect, permanent leaves, smaller 

 than the corolla. Pet. 5, moderately spreading, gradu- 

 ally dilated upwai'ds, obtuse, or abrupt. Filam. 5, as long 

 as the calyx, awl-shaped, erect, inserted into an annular 

 floral receptacle^ along with the petals, and 5 shorter, in- 

 termediate, imperfect ones. Anth. arrow-shaped. Germ. 

 superior, ovate. Styles thread-shaped, erect, the length 

 of the stamens. Stigmas bluntish, spreading, undivided. 

 CajJS. nearly globular, obscurely 5-sided, with 10 cells, 

 and 10 valves, combined in pairs. Seeds solitary, ovate, 

 acute, compressed, polished. 



Herbaceous or shrubby, smooth or hairy. Leaves simple, 

 entire, mostly alternate. Fl. lateral or terminal, blue or 

 yellow, rarely white. Fibres of the bark very tenacious. 

 Seeds mucilaginous, without alhihncn. The calijx affords 

 the most certain specific characters. 



