CHAPTER XXX 

 LINACEiE (Flax FamUy) 



Habit, Stem, Leaf. — The species of this family are annual 

 or perennial herbs, or shrubs. The plants are tap-rooted, 

 and each tap root bears a number of slender, lateral branches. 

 The stems are single. The leaves are simple, narrow, nearly 

 sessile, and usually alternate, although sometimes opposite 

 (L. catharticum) . They are linear, linear-lanceolate, or 

 oblong, and sharply awn-pointed, blunt, or rounded at the 

 apex. 



Inflorescence and Flowers. — The inflorescence may be 

 a few-flowered corymb or cyme, or the flowers may be 

 more or less scattered on the branches. The flowers (Fig. 

 2i) are perfect, regular, and five-parted in all respects. 

 The sepals are imbricated and persistent. The petals are 

 wedge-shaped, and may be as long or longer than the sepals. 

 They may be some shade of yellow or blue, orange with rose- 

 tinted base, red, or white. The five stamens have their 

 filaments united at the base. The outer whorl of stamens 

 is wanting or staminodial. The pistil consists of a five- 

 celled ovary, each cell of which bears two ovules. The five 

 styles may be free, united to the stigmas, or united part way 

 from the base. 



Fruit.— The flax fruit is a five-celled capsule with two seeds 

 in each cell; each cell is partially or completely divided into 

 two by a false partition between the two seeds, thus making 

 the capsule apparently ten-celled (Fig. 21). 

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