450 



LINE^E. I. LINUM. 



slightly monadelphous at the base, alternating with the petals, 

 with a tooth or abortive filament between each (f. 82. e.); 

 anthers ovate, inserted by the base, 2-celled, birimose. 

 Ovary sub-globose (f. 82. c.) with as many cells as there are 

 sepals, rarely fewer. Styles equal in number to the cells of 

 the ovary (f. 82. rf.), capitate, or simple at the apex. Capsule 

 globose, usually acuminate (f. 82. c.), crowned by the permanent 

 bases of the styles (f. 82. d.}, constantly composed of carpels hav- 

 ing induplicate margins, each opening by 2 valves at the apex, with 

 an incomplete dissepiment rising from the centre of each, there- 

 fore each carpel is divided into two incomplete cells, containing 

 two seeds, one in each cell. Seeds ovate, compressed, shining, 

 inverted. Albumen sparing, but usually wanting, but instead there 

 is always a fleshy tumid endopleura. Embryo straight, flat, with 

 the radical turned towards the hilum, and with elliptical coty- 

 ledons. This order differs from Caryophylleec by the capsule 

 being formed by the cohesion of several, half 2-celled, 2-seeded 

 carpels. It is composed of herbs or subshrubs bearing yellow, 

 blue, or white fugacious petals, and with entire exstipulate 

 leaves. Flowers always disposed in racemose corymbs or panicles. 

 The plants are of immense importance to the world, on account 

 of the tenacity of their fibres, when made into flax. The seeds 

 are oily. The leaves of Linum cathdrticum and L. selaginoldes 

 are purgative. 



Synopsis of the genera. 



1 LI'NUM. Sepals 5, entire (f. 82. a.). Petals 5 (f. 82. 6.) 

 Stamens 5 (f. 82. e.). Styles 5 (f. 82. <*.), rarely 1 or 3. 



2 RADI'OLA. Sepals 4, joined almost to the middle, trifid at 

 the apex. Petals 4. Stamens 4. Styles 4. 



I. LI'NUM (from Llin, a thread, in Celtic, whence \ivov in 

 Greek, and linum in Latin). Bauh. Vaill. Lin. Roem. et Schult. 

 syst. 6. p. 736. D. C. prod. 1. p. 423. 



LIN. SYST. Pentandria, Pentagynia. Flowers with a quinary 

 proportion of parts. Sepals entire. Styles very rarely 3, but 

 generally 5 (f. 82. d.~) as well as sepals (f. 82. a.), petals (f. 

 82. 6.), and stamens (f. 82. e.). 



1. Flatvers yellow, 



1 L. GA'LLICUM (Lin. spec. 401.) plant glabrous, usually of 

 many stems ; leaves alternate, linear-lanceolate ; flowers in loose 

 forked panicles ; pedicels length of calyx ; sepals ciliated at 

 the base, awl-shaped at the top ; petals blunt, twice as long as 

 the calyx. Q. H. Native on hills from France to Iberia. 

 Smith, fl. graec. t. 303. Ger. gallo-prov. 1. 16. f. 1. 



Var, ft, medium (D. C. prod. 1. p. 423.) branches rather an- 

 gular; leaves serrulately-scabrous on the margins. H. 

 Native of Portugal on calcareous hills and heathy mountains 

 about Coimbra and elsewhere. 



French Flax. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1777. PI. |to 1 foot. 



2 L. AU'REUM (Walds. et Kit. pi. hung. 2. 't. 177.) plant 

 glabrous, erect ; leaves alternate, linear-lanceolate ; flowers in 

 lax, panicled corymbs ; pedicels 2 or 3-times longer than the 

 calyx; sepals rather ciliated at the base, awl-shaped at the 

 apex ; petals emarginate, twice as long as the calyx ; styles 

 distinct. Q. H. Native of Hungary and Croatia in grassy 

 places. L. Liburnicum, Scop. earn. ed. 2. no. 385. Styles 3. 



GWcfenFlax. Fl. July. Clt. 1820. PI. | foot. 



3 L. SETA'CEUM (Brot. phyt. no. 22. t. 6.) plant puberulous, 

 erect ; leaves alternate, crowded, linear-awl-shaped, somewhat 



serrately scabrous ; flowers in panicled corymbs ; pedicels length 

 of the calyx; sepals awl- shaped, ciliated at the base; petals 

 twice as long as sepals; styles distinct. () H. Native of 

 Portugal on calcareous hills near Coimbra, also of Mauritania. 

 L. Broteri, Willd. mss. in Schult. syst. 6. p. 758. L. tenui- 

 fblium, Schousb. 



Var. ft, bicolor ; flowers yellow, with a blue base and striped 

 with purple. Native of the north of Africa near Tangiers. L. 

 bicolor, Schousb. maroc. 135. L. tenuifolium 3, Willd. spec. 1. 

 p. 1536. L. tenuifolium ft, bicolor, Pers. ench. 1. p. 335. 



slml-shaped-leaved Flax. Fl. June, July. PI. ^ to 1 foot. 



4 L. ERIGEROI'DES (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 132.) smooth, simple, 

 erect ; leaves alternate, crowded, linear, very acute, with 2 

 glands at the base ; panicle somewhat corymbose ; sepals hardly 

 crenulated ; petals twice the length of the calyx ; style free ; 

 stigmas small, tj . G. Native of Brazil in the province of Cis- 

 platine. 



Erigeron-like Flax. Shrub 1 foot. 



5 L. LITTORA'LE (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 133.) smooth; stems 

 numerous, erect ; leaves linear, erect, smooth, upper ones alter- 

 nate ; flowers panicled ; sepals acute, hardly crenate, much 

 shorter than the sepals. ~ij. . S. Native of Brazil. Styles free ; 

 stigmas small. Petals 3 times longer than the sepals. 



Shore Flax. Shrub 1 foot. 



6 L. JU'NCKUM (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 134. t. 24.) smooth; 

 stems erect, twiggy; leaves remote, short, appressed, linear, 

 acute ; flowers panicled ; sepals acute. Tj . S. Native of Brazil. 

 Flowers subglomerate ; petals twice the length of the calyx. 



Ruihy Flax. Shrub 2 inches. 



7 L. TE'NUE (Desf. all. 1. p. 280. t. 81.) plant glabrous, 

 erectish ; leaves alternate, linear, acute ; flowers in lax, panicled 

 racemes ; pedicels hardly the length of the calyx ; sepals mu- 

 cronate ; petals rather retuse, 4-times longer than the calyx. 

 O- H. Native of Algiers on uncultivated hills. L. virga- 

 tum, Schousb. mar. 1. p. 136. L. melianthum, Brot. fl. lus. 1. 

 p. 484. ex Link. Flowers about the size of those of common 

 flax. Branches of panicle dichotomous. 



Slender Flax. Fl. June, July. PI. | to | foot. 



8 L. LUTE'OLUM (Bieb. fl. taur. 1. p. 256.) plant glabrous, 

 erect ; stem angular ; leaves alternate and opposite the flowers, 

 linear, acute, and are as well as the sepals serrulated ; branches 

 of panicle dichotomous ; pedicels very short ; petals twice as 

 long as the calyx; styles distinct; stigmas not capitate. Q. H. 

 Native of Tauria and Iberia in sunny fields. Buxb. cent. 5. 

 t. 59. Leaves with 2-glands at the base. 



y e //o?mA-flowered Flax. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1820. PI. ift. 



9 L. NODIFLO'RUM (Lin. spec. FIG. 82. 

 401.) plant glabrous; leaves lan- 

 ceolate, smooth, furnished with 2 



glands at the base of each, lower 

 ones alternate, floral ones opposite ; 

 branches of panicle dichotomous ; 

 pedicels very short ; calyx length 

 of leaves ; styles distinct ; stigmas 

 not capitate. T; . H. Native of 

 Italy and the islands of the Archi- 

 pelago. Moris, oxon. sect. 5. t. 

 26. f. 11. Sibth. and Smith, fl. 

 graec. t. 307. (f. 82.). 



Knolted-flowered Flax. Fl. July, 

 Aug. Clt. 1 759. PI. | to 4 ft. 



10 L. siRi'ciuM(Lin. spec. 400.) 

 plant glabrous, erect; leaves linear- 

 lanceolate, straight, and are as well as the much-pointed sepals 

 roughly ciliated ; panicle corymbose, crowded ; pedicels very 

 short; petals length of calyx ; styles distinct. Q. H. Native 

 of the south of Europe and the north of Africa in sandy fields. 



