86 TILIACE. [Eleocarpus. 
NorrH anp SourH Isnuanps, Srewart Istanp: Forests from Mongonui 
and Kaitaia southwards, but exceedingly local north of the Auckland Isthmus. 
Altitudinal range from sea-level to 3000 ft. Pokaka. November—January. 
The variability of the leaves in young plants is most remarkable. As the 
young tree grows up it is not uncommon to find on the lower branches a 
curious mixture of linear, obovate, or almost orbicular leaves, which may 
be nearly entire or deeply lobulate; while on the upper branches the leaves 
have already assumed the shape of the mature stage. 
OrpEer XII. LINEA. 
Herbs or shrubs, rarely trees. Leaves alternate, simple, usually 
entire; stipules present or wanting. Flowers regular, herma- 
phrodite. Sepals 5, rarely 4, free or coherent at the base, 
imbricate. Petals the same number, hypogynous or slightly peri- 
gynous, imbricate, often contorted. Stamens as many as the 
petals or twice as many, rarely more; filaments united below into 
a ring which frequently has 5 small glands at the base ; anthers 
2-celled, versatile. Ovary free, entire, 3-5-celled; styles the same 
number, distinct or more or less united; ovules 1-2 in each eell, 
pendulous, anatropous. Fruit either a capsule splitting into 3-6 
cocci, or more rarely a drupe. Seeds 1—2 in each cell; albumen 
fleshy or wanting ; embryo usually straight, radicle superior. 
A small order, scattered over the whole world, the herbaceous species mainly 
temperate, the shrubby almost all tropical. Genera 14; species about 140. 
The common flax, Linwm usitatissinwm, so valuable from the tenacity of its 
fibre and its oily seeds, is the most important member of the order. The 
Peruvian Hrythroxylon coca yields the important drug cocaine, and the leaves 
are chewed as a stimulant. The only New Zealand genus is widely distributed. 
1, LINUM,, Linn. 
Herbs, rarely shrubby at the base. Leaves usually alternate, 
narrow, quite entire; stipules generally wanting. Flowers in 
panicled or racemose or fascicled cymes. Sepals 5, entire. Petals 5, 
contorted in estivation, fugacious. Stamens 5, alternate with the 
petals, hypogynous, usually connate at the base, often alternating 
with 5 minute staminodia. Disc of 5 glands opposite to the petals 
and adnate to the staminal rmg. Ovary d-celled, with 2 ovules 
in each cell; cells sometimes divided into 2; styles 5. Capsule 
5-celled, septicidally splitting into 5 2-seeded or 10 1-seeded cocci. 
Seeds compressed, albumen scanty. 
A genus of 80 species or more, mostly natives of temperate or subtropical 
climates. The single indigenous species is endemic. 
(The Australian L. marginale, A. Cunn., is now plentifully naturalised in 
many parts of New Zealand, especially to the north of Taranaki and Hawke’s 
Bay. It can be distinguished from L. monogynum by its smaller size, more 
slender habit, and small pale-blue flowers.) 
1. L. monogynum, forst. Prodr. n. 145.—A very variable 
perfectly glabrous perennial herb, sometimes woody at the base ; 
