CHAP. 1.] LINACEiE. 295 



and sometimes the petals themselves grow 

 slightly together at the base. The capsule 

 consists of five two-celled carpels, grown toge- 

 ther ; each cell containing one seed, and each 

 carpel terminating in a rather slender style, 

 tipped with a ball -like stigma. When ripe, the 

 capsule opens naturally, by dividing into ten 

 valves, to discharge the seeds ; which are flat 

 and shining, with a large embryo. These seeds 

 are called Linseed in the shops, from Linum, 

 the botanical name of the plant; and, as is well 

 known, they are not only used for various pur- 

 poses, but oil is expressed from them. The 

 stem of the common Flax, though it is only an 

 annual, consists of woody fibre, like that of a 

 tree in its young state ; and it is this fibrous 

 part that makes the yarn for thread, after it 

 has been separated from the fleshy part, by 

 steeping the stems for a long time in water. 

 The perennial Flax {Linum perenne), which, as 

 its name imports, lasts several years, differs in 

 little else from the common kind, except that 

 its sepals are obtuse, and its leaves are much 

 smaller and narrower. Both these are natives 

 of Britain. There are many other species, 

 some of which have yellow flowers. 



