82 LIXE.E. 



are bright golden yellow in terminal clusters, appearing in June 

 and lasting till August. Best suited for sunny positions on 

 rockwork in the northern counties ; but about London and 

 southwards will succeed well in the mixed border in light dry 

 sandy peat and loam. Native of southern Europe. 



L. hirsutum {Hairy Flax). — Only a very small portion of 

 this species is hairy. The calyx enjoys a hirsute covering, but 

 other parts of the plant are hairless. It grows from i8 inches 

 to 2 feet high in masses of spherical outline. The leaves are 

 somewhat egg-shaped or broadly lanceolate. The flowers are 

 large, somewhat bell-shaped, purplish blue, and appear in ter- 

 minal trusses in June, and last a month or two. Native of the 

 Pyrenees. Adapted to border culture and rockwork in light 

 sandy loam. 



L. monogynum {One-styled Fiax). — This is a beautiful pure- 

 white flowered species, rising rather erect about i8 inches, 

 with numerous stems, clothed rather thinly with narrow lance- 

 shaped leaves acutely pointed. The flowers are large in 

 terminal corymbs, and appear in the summer months. Best 

 adapted for rockwork in warm positions, and in the south may 

 be tried ever^^vhere in moderate shelter. 



L. narbonnense {Narbojuie Flax). — This species grows about 

 J 8 inches high, with the stems branching much at the base, 

 and clothed with lance-shaped rough-margined acutely-pointed 

 leaves. The flowers are borne in loose graceful trusses, are 

 large and pale blue, with lines of darker hue radiating from the 

 claw of the petals outwards. A fine showy species for rock- 

 work or border, flowering in early summer and continuing for 

 a month or two. Native of the south of France. 



L. perenne i^Pere?mial Flax). — This species is a native of 

 Britain, but not common. In nature it is variable, and in gar- 

 dens there are several species so called, which, while differing 

 in some unimportant characters, are too close in resemblance 

 to the form cdMtd perenne to be admissible in any but botanical 

 or very extensive collections along with it. Z. pereniie grows 

 about T foot high, with numerous slender, almost prostrate 

 stems, clothed with small linear sharp-pointed leaves, and the 

 flowers are bright blue in graceful open trusses at the top of 

 the stems. They appear in the summer months early and late. 

 There is a white variety which has long been cultivated, and 

 there is a more recent variety with rose or pink flowers, both of 

 which are well worth places and some attention. Some of the spe- 

 cies alluded to above as too near/<?/r;/;?«? to be admitted in select 

 collections along with it, are, Le7uisii, p7'ovinciale., and sibh'icum, 

 neither of which presents features superior to those oi perenjie. 



