58 



SEA LAVENDER. Statice limonium. 



Plate 4, fig. 4. 

 Flowers in a branched, spreading head. Leaves elliptic. 



A handsome plant, common on the muddy sea shores of 

 England, but not of Scotland ; flowering in July, and growing 

 eight or ten inches high. It is known at once from the former 

 by the very different appearance of its leaves, and the color of the 

 flowers, which here are of a fine blue. The flowers and flower 

 stalks retain almost all their color and beauty when dried, and 

 are often gathered for winter nosegays, and used by bird stuffers 

 to ornament the cases of animals which they preserve. Though 

 this plant has the name of Sea Lavender yet it has no scent 

 whatever. 



O. S. Upright Spiked Thrift and Matted Thrift, both similar to the last, 

 but smaller and more rarely found. 



FLAX. LINUM. 

 COMMON FLAX. Linum usitatissimum. 



. Plate 4, fig. 5. 



- Leaves alternate, lanceolate. Flowers large and blue. 



Of all plants this is one of the most useful, as well as one 

 of the most beautiful. It grows in almost every country in 

 the world, and was known even at the most distant times. In 

 many parts of our own island it is grown in extensive fields, 

 where its blue and numerous flowers render it a fine object to 

 the view ; it is also sometimes found in corn fields, brought 

 there perhaps in the corn seed. It is highly valuable for its 

 oily seeds, which when crushed yield linseed oil ; when ground 

 are used in fomentations ; and when boiled produce a thick 

 jelly-like liquid, well known as linseed tea. But even more 

 valuable are its stringy fibrous stalks ; these when prepared are 

 the material from which are made linen, cambric, lawn, lace, 

 thread, &c. They are prepared in the following manner : - 

 When the plants are of their full height and just done flowering, 

 which is about the beginning of August, they are pulled up, 

 sorted, and the seeds and leaves stripped off, by being drawn 

 through a heckle, which is a machine like a comb. They are 

 then soaked in water for some days, to destroy the green pulp 

 and the outer bark ; this is called water retting, or water rot- 



