

PENTANDRIA. PENTAGYNIA. Linum. 



Var. 2. Stem trailing. Both varieties rise from the same 

 root. In the upright the sta?n. are longer than the pistils, in the 

 trailing they are shorter. Huds. 



317 





tenuifo'lium. 



downward 



Jaca 



Stalks 



a 



i 



Var. c 2. Angustifolium (Huds.) Stem reclining at the base. 



Bocc. mus. t. 125. 



Clus. hist. i. 3 18. left hand fig. Lob. dbs. 22$ , 2, and ic. J. 

 413. right hand fig. are pretty good representations of it, bur the 

 stems are too upright at the base. Stems numerous, branched to- 

 wards the top. Leaves spear-strap- shaped, stiff, pointed, scattered, 

 hairy underneath, as far as the stem is trailing pointing upwards* 

 above that in various directions. Calyx shorter than the capsule, 

 egg-sh2ped, blunt, but ending in a sharp point, keeled with a 

 prominent rib. Bloss. mirch smaller than that of L. perenne> pale 

 reddish purple with darker lines; petals not absolutely entire. 

 Style not bent back beyond the stamens. Woodward. Root 

 .simple, fibrous, paie brown : woody, perennial. E. bot. 

 numerous, ascending, round, smooth, leafy, branched only towards 

 the top ; from 18 to 24 inches or more in height. Leaves strap- 

 spear-shaped, little if at all hairy, very entire, irregularly dii* 



posed, lying nearer to the stem than in the L. usitatissimura. 

 Floiuers in a panicle. Calyx leaves pointed, keeled, permanent, 



membranaceous, not hairy at the edge. Petals bluish, streaked 

 with purple veins ; wedge-shaped, deciduous, slightly united by 

 the claws. Stamens 5, white, scarcely broader at the base. 

 Anthers blue, inclined to the styles, somewhat united. Styles the 

 length of the filaments, bluish, slightly cohering. Capsule globu- 

 lar but tapering to a sharp point ; with 10 cells and 10 valves. 

 Seeds i in each cell. Mr. Giddy. Stems slender, but stiff. 

 Leaves narrow, sharp pointed. Flowers dilute purple or flesh 

 colour or white. Ray. Leaves rough when stroked downwards, 

 particularly the upper ones, but this roughness vanishes with 

 age. Stems many from one root. Petals very entire. Capsules 

 and calyx sharp-pointed. Our plant seems to agree with the fifth 

 var. of the L. tenuifolium of the Sp. Plantar, though Mr. Hud- 

 son thought it a distinct species. 



A a rrovj- leaved Flax. Dry meadows and pastures. [Very 

 plentiful in Cornwall. Mr. Watt. In Devonshire. Minster 

 *n the Isle of Sheppey, and Deal. Huds.] P. June, July. 



(2) Leaves opposite. 

 L. Leaves opposite, egg- spear- shaped: stem forked : bloss. cathar'ticum* 



pointed. 



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