Linum.] LINE^. 51 



Aug. If . — Four to six inches long. Lower part of the stem bare of 

 leaves and much branched. Leaves subsecund and subfalcate, their 

 points callous. Flowers large, pure white. Intermediate between 

 Stellaria and Cerastium. 



Ord. 14. LINE7E. D C. Flax Family. 



Sepals 3 — 5, with an imbricated aestivation. Petals 3 — 5, 

 unguiculate, alternate with the sepals and with a twisted aestiva- 

 tion. Stamens as many as there are petals, united at their base, 

 alternate with the petals, with intermediate teeth, or abortive 

 filaments: anthers ovate, 2-celled. Ovary subglobose, gene- 

 rally with as many cells and capitate styles as there are sepals, 

 rarely fewer. Capsule globose, often apiculated with the base 

 of the persistent styles, each cell imperfectly separated into two, 

 by a spurious dissepiment, and opening with two valves at the 

 extremity. Albumen scarcely any. Embryo straight, fleshy 

 and oily. Radicle towards the hilum. — Herbs or undershrubs. 

 Leaves entire, without stipules. Flowers pedunculated. Petals 

 very fugacious. 



1. Lintjm. Linn. Flax. 



Calyx of 5 sepals, persistent. Petals 5. Capsules globose, mu- 

 cronate, with ten valves and ten cells. Seeds ovate, com- 

 pressed. — Named from Lin, thread, in Celtic, fTheisJ. 



Pentandria. Pentagynia. 



* Leaves alternate. 



1. L. usitatissimum, Linn. Common Flax. Leaves linear, 

 acute, lanceolate ; calycine leaves, ovate, acute, 3-nerved ; pe- 

 tals crenate ; stem subsolitary. Br. Fl. 1. p. 147 E. Fl. v. ii. 

 p. 118. E. Bot. t. 1537. 



Corn fields, not unfrequent. Fl, July. ©. — One foot or one foot 

 and a half high, slender, branched above. Leaves distant. Flowers 

 large, purplish blue. This yields, in the strong fibres of its bark, the 

 valuable flax of commerce, whilst from the seed a precious oil is ex- 

 pressed, known by the name of Lint-seed oil. These seeds, too, are 

 highly mucilaginous, and much employed in pouhices, fomentations, 

 &c. 



2. L. perenne, Linn. Perennial blue Flax. Leaves linear, 

 acute ; calycine leaves obovate, obtuse, obscurely 5-ribbed, 

 glabrous ; stems numerous from the same root. Br. Fl. 1. p. 

 147. E. Fl. v. ii. jo. 118. E. Bot. t. 40. 



Limestone grounds near Monkstown, County of Cork ; Mr. J. 

 Drummond. Fl. June, July. T£. 



