STATE GEOLOGIST. 35 



TILIACE.E. Linden Family. 



TILiIA. L. Linden. Basswood. 



T. Aiuericana, L. Basswood. Bass. Linden. Lime Tree. Whitewood. 



Very abundant in the Bi"; Woods, and generally common tlirougliout the state ; not 

 fi)uud near the Minnesota shore ot lake Superior, but frequent north of this lake, on 

 maple ridges 400 feet and more above it, attaining a hight of 70 feet and diameter of 20 

 inches, Clark ; al-io, not found in Kock county, but very plentiful at Bear lakes in i^Iur- 

 lay county, Cpham ; extending north to Basswood lake on the international boundary, 

 Wvii-hiU. 



1 The northern limit of this species is found just south of Thunder bay, from which 

 ii nearly follows the international boundary to the lake of the Wood's. It extends 

 farther north in Manitoba, nearly to lake Winnipeg, and northwest to Fort EUice. 

 Br. Uuhtrt Bell.] 



(The leaves of this and many other species of trees, in their first few years of growth 

 from the seed, are often remarkably large. The following measurements were made 

 in Todd county, September I6tli : leaf of basswood, blade, MV^ inches long and 12 inches 

 wide, borne on a petiole 3 inches long ; of large-toothed aspen, blade, 10 by 7' a, and peti- 

 ole. 4 inches ; of balsam poplar, blade, 11 by 7, and petiole, 2 inches ; and of elm, blade, 

 9 by C inches, with petiole only a half inch long.) 



'• Basswood lumber is much used in cabinet work for boxes, shelves, etc., whenever 

 a wood is desired which is soft and easily worked, and, at the same time, touj^h and 

 not liable to split." It decays more quickly than most kinds of lumber, when exposed 

 to the weather, unless it is thoroughly painted ; but issufflkjiently durable, if kept dry. 



LmACE.4^. Flax Family. 



LI^XM, L. Flax. 



Ii. i>erenne, L* Wild Flax. Prairie Flax. 



At Pembina, and thence westward, Chicherino- Stearns county. Sirs. Blaisdcll. 

 West. 



Li .sulcatum, Riddel 1. Wild Flax, 



Common from Minneapolis, Rohertg, southward, and westward to the Red river 

 valley, Uiihatn; Pipestone quarry, Mrs. Bennett. 



L. rigklum, Purshf Wild Flax. 



From Winona county, Winchell, Minneapolis, Tivininy, and Anoka county, Jiini, 

 westward to Pipestone county, Leiherg, and the Red river valley (common in Clay 

 county), Uphiitn. South and west, 



'^ LiNUM I'ERENNE, L. Perennial, glabrous; leaves scattered, linear, acute; flowers 

 nearly opposite the leaves and terminal; peduncles becoming elongated and nodding 

 in fruit ; sepals oval with membranous margins, shorter than the globose capsule ; 

 petals free, blue, vetuse, 3 to 4 times exceeding the calyx ; styles 5 ; capsule 5-celled, 

 with bearded dissepiments. Stems '» to3 feet high ; flowers large. May to September. 

 Trofs'in'*- Rep. in Kiito's E.rpl. of the Fortieth Parallel. 



+LINUM RiGiDLTM, Pursh. Dwarf ; glaucous ; styles united almost to the top. 

 Gray'.^ i/amta?.— Stems 5 to 15 inches high, angled, much branched ; branches strict, 

 ascending ; leaves alternate, linear, pungently acute, rigid, with scabrous margins ; 

 flowers panicled or corymbose ; pedicels thickened at the end, and forming an exterior 

 cup-shaped calyculus ; sepals ovate-lanceolate, cuspidate, strongly 3-nerved. glandular 

 spinulose-scabrous on the margins, longer tluiu the globose capsule ; petals sulphur- 

 yellow. Piirter and CnuUer's Flora of Colorado. 



