LINA'RIA PURPU'REA. 



PURPLE FLAX-WEED. 

 Class. Order. 



DIDYNAMIA. ANCIOSPERMIA. 



Natural Order . 



SCROPHULARIN2E. 



No. 34. 



The term Linaria appears to have had its origin 

 from Linum, flax; just as Flax-weed and Toad-flax 

 are deduced from the English word, on account of 

 the similarity of the plants. 



This species is frequently known as the Antir- 

 rhinum purpureum, in which genus it was placed 

 by Linneus: modern botanists have, however, di- 

 vided the Antirrhinums into two genera, and this 

 plant now stands with the appellation by which it 

 was well known to Gerarde, Parkinson, Bauhin, 

 and others. Purpurea, from the Latin, purple. 



Its erect and elegant growth renders it well suit- 

 ed to contrast with more diffuse subjects of its 

 own stature ; and the simplicity of its culture will 

 qualify its deficiency of that splendour which may 

 attach to some of its more fastidious neighbours. 



It produces seed freely, and from these may be 

 readily propagated. If sown in the autumn upon a 

 tolerably dry soil, they will not fail to come up, 

 and produce much stronger plants than those sown 

 in spring ; and when once established it may be ex- 

 pected, by seed, to increase spontaneously, though 

 in very wet soils it will sometimes fail. 

 Hort. Kew. 2, v. 4, 12. 



