PENTANDRIA— PENTAGYNIA. Liimm. 117 



S. reticulata. Li7in. Sp. PL 394. U'illd. v. 1, 1526. FL Br. 3 12. 

 Engl Bot. V. 5. t. 328. Hook. Scot. 97. Hill FL Br. t. 2;3. 

 /.2. 



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



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

 dant J also near Wisbcach. EngL 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 small, spatulate, stalked. Flower- 

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

 cimens, very much branched, sj)reading, zigzag and entangled, 

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

 Barren branches often reflexed. Spikes simple, terminal, nume- 

 rous, each of a few purplish-blue^oM;t'ri', bracteated like the last. 



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

 that I am cautious in quoting synonyms. The present j)lant is 

 not unlike the figures of Lunoniuni parvum in Lobel and Gerardc, 

 see -S'. Limonium /3 j but it does 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. \r)3. Juss. 303. FL Br. 3 12. Tourn.t.\7G. Lam. t. 219. 

 G£Ertn.t.\\2. 



Nat. Ord. Gruinales. Linn. Ik Akin to Caryophyllece. 

 Juss. 82. Linccc. DeCand. 15. 



CaL inferior, of 5 lanceolate, erect, permanent leaves, smaller 

 than the corolla. Pet, 5, moderately sjireadinp^, gradu- 

 ally dilated upwards, obtuse, or abrupt.- L'ilam. 5, as long 

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

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

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

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

 of the stamens. .SV^'^;//^.? bluntish, spreading, undivided. 

 Caps, nearly globular, obscurely 5-sided, with 10 cells, 

 and 10 valves, combined in pairs. Seeih solitary, ovale, 

 acute, compressed, polished. 



Herbaceous or shrubby, smooth or hairy. Leaves^ sim])Ie, 

 entire, mostly alurnate. 11. hitt-ial or terminal, blue or 

 yellow, rarely white. Fibres of llie Imrk very tenacious. 

 Seeds uuicilaginous, without ntljunitn. The ealijx ailbrdH 

 the most certain specific characters. 



