454 LINUM. [CLAS«, V. ORDER V 



Ruiil laperiiig, slendir, bianclied. Stems several from tlie same 

 root, slender, erect, or slightly bending iu the lower part, branched 

 towards the top, round, smooth, leafy, from one to one and a half feet 

 high. Leaves alternate, rather smaller than in the last species, linear, 

 acute, single ribbed, somewhat glaucous green, especially beneath. 

 Injlorejcetice rather large panicles, the Jlouers racemose on the 

 branches, large, rather pale purplish blue, with dark radiating veins. 

 Cah/x of five.obovate, obtuse, each with a narrow membranous margin, 

 and the outer ones mostly with a short obtuse point, live ribbed, the 

 lateral ones sometimes obscure. Corolla of five spreading heart-shaped 

 petals, the notch more or less distinct, and the margin generally slightly 

 crenated. Stamens on short slender awl-shaped ^/amen<A-, with yellow- 

 oblong anthers. Styles slender, longer than the stamens, with obtuse 

 somewhat capilate stigmas. Capsule globose, smooth, pointed, with 

 the hardened base of the style ten valved, ten celled, each cell single 

 seeded. 



Habitat. — Dry hilly situations. Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, 

 Westmoreland, Norfolk, Suffolk; near Moukslown, Ireland. — Mr. J. 

 Drummond. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



This plant is readily distinguished by its obtuse calyx, its smaller 

 leaves, and more numerous stems. It is frequently cultivated in 

 gardens, and is a gay ornamental perennial border flower ; its palish 

 green foliage on its slender stem, and numerous rather large handsome 

 flowers, have an elegant appearance, and successively expand for a 

 considerable time. 



3. L. amjusti'folium, Huds. (Fig. 517) Narrorc-learcd Pale Flax. 

 Stems numerous, erect, branched upwards ; leaves linear, lanceolate, 

 acuminate ; sepals ovate, acuminate, bristle pointed, three ribbed, the 

 inner ones ciliated. 



Enj^lish Botany, t. 40.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 119.— Hooker, 

 Britisli Flora, vol. i. p. 150. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 53. . 



Ruol somewhat tapering, branche|l and woody. Stems numerous 

 from the same root, round, smooth, slender, erect, or somewhat bent at 

 the base, slightly branched above, leafy. Leaves narrow, linear lanceo- 

 late, with an acuminated point, three ribbed, a somewhat glaucous 

 green, paler beneath. Injloresccnce slightly branched, few flowered, 

 racemose panicles. Lloicers smaller than either of the above species, 

 a pale purplish blue colour, with short darker radiating veins. Calyx 

 of five sepals, rather shorter than the capsules, ovate, with an acumi- 

 nated point, terminating in short bristle, the inner sepals more obtuse 

 than the outer, with a shorter point, a broader membranous margin, 

 and ciliated with short hairs. Petals broadly obovate, tapering into a 

 claw, sometimes notched, and has an heart-shaped appearance, and 

 fre<iucnlly the margin is slightly crenated. Stamens like the la.st, ol 



