LINAGE^.. 57 



discovered in tropical "Western Africa. The Anisandenias have only 

 been observed in the mountains of India ; Ixonanthes in tropical 

 South-Western Asia. Ancuhphus is from tropical "Western Africa. 

 The genera Enjthroxijlon^ Hugonia, OclitliocosmiiSj and Linum are 

 common to both worlds. In counting the species of these four 

 genera, we find in all about twenty-three American to ninety-foiu* 

 belonging to the old "World. In the genus Linum, the species are 

 very unequally spread in all regions of the globe/ but they are 

 met with fi-om the ti-opical zones to the coldest regions of North 

 America, Asia, and Em-ope, and also ft-om the South of Afi-ica to 

 New Zealand. The common Plax is cultivated in cold and in 

 warm regions, as in Egypt, where it is possible to water it. Its 

 culture on the banks of the Nile is most ancient, since we find it 

 in the stuffs which wrap the mummies and in the hypogeum paint- 

 ings. The Hebrews, Celts, and Germans planted it to make cloth. 

 Its name would seem to point to temperate Europe as the place of 

 its origin ; " yet it has been said to be of Eastern origin,^ and also to 

 grow spontaneously in Central Russia and towards the Caspian Sea.* 

 It appears in its wild state South of the Caucasus. L. RacUola grows 

 in the Orkneys and Norway, and is found as far south as tropical 

 Afi'ica.^ L. catharticum spreads through all Europe, from Southern 

 Italy to Iceland ; L. gallicum., from France to Abyssinia f the last 

 has been introduced into Australia.'' 



The affinity of the Linece with the Geraniacece is so close that some 

 authors have united the two groups. The Owalillca; have sometimes 

 been ranged among the Linacew. Of the Lbme, Benthah and 

 Hooker^ say, " connected by authors sometimes with the 31alvncece 

 and Cur/jophijllece, sometimes with the Geraniacece, they differ 

 clearly from the two former families by the situation of the ovules, 

 and from the latter by then- nou-lobed ovaries ; and they are 



1 Planchon has given a general table of their lit'r ex Orieiite ortmn "). 

 geographical distribution and that of all the ■* liEDEii. Fl. Ross. i. 425. 

 Linaceae then known (foe. cit. opposite page ' Oliv. Fl. Trap. Afr. i. 2f>8. 

 599.) " TiEcoa. G(ogr. Bot. v. .'ilG. 



2 A. DC. Georjr. Hot. Mais. 390, 833. ' Bexth. Fl. Austral, i. 28:). 

 •" Pl. in Jluok. Joitnt. loc. cit. 185 {" verosimi- ' Ocii. 241. 



VOL. V. I 



