280 POPULAR FIELD BOTANY. 
south coast in several places, and on the north coast of 
Devonshire. Another species, 
Statice L~imontum, Sea Lavender, has longer leaves, 
sometimes exceeding four inches in length. The flowers 
greatly resemble those of the Spathulata. 
eee eee 
PENTANDRIA. PENTAGYNIA. 
THALAMIFLORZ. LINACES. 
LINUM. (Fax.) 
Generic Character. Calyx of five leaves, remaining after the 
fruit is ripe. Petals five. Seed-vessel globular, with ten valves 
and ten cells. The genus takes its name from the Celtic word 
Tin, thread. 
Linum vsitatisstuum. Common Max. ‘This is the 
plant which yields the valuable flax so much in use. It is 
found wild in corn-fields occasionally, but is cultivated to a 
great extent in many places. From the seeds is expressed 
the oil, known as Linseed oil, and the refuse is made into 
cakes and given to cattle, which they greatly prefer to that 
made from rape seed; the seeds themselves are used for 
various medicinal purposes. ‘The plant has long and distant 
