LINUM. XXVI. LINAGES. 195 



ELATINE. 



Gr. eAar/;, fir; from the resemblance of the slender leaves of some species. 



Stigmas sessile, minute. 



E. AMERICANA. Arn. (Crypta minima. Nutt. Peplys Americana. PA.) 

 Mud Purslane. St. diffuse, procumbent, striate, rooting from the joints, 



with assurgent branches; Ivs. cuneate-oval or obovate, obtuse, entire; sty. 0; 



sep., pet., sta. and stig. 2 3, as well as the cells and valves of the capsule; stip. 



very minute. A small mud plant, on the borders of ponds and rivers ! U. S. 



Flowers axillary, sessile, solitary. Corolla minute, closed. Jl. Sep. 



ORDER XXYI. LINAGES. FLAXWORTS. 



Plants herbaceous or suffrutescent. 



Lvs. entire, sessile, alternate sometimes nearly opposite, without stipules. 



Fls. terminal, usually in corymbs or panicles, regular and symmetrical. 



Cal.~ Sepals 3, 4 or 5, distinct, or more or less united ; aestivation strongly imbricated. 



Cor. -Petals equal in number to sepals, hypogynous, unguiculate ; aestivation twisted. 



Sta. 3, 4 or 5, united at base into a hypogynous ring, which is often toothed, opposite the petals. 



Ova. of as many cells as sepals or styles. Stig. capitate. 



Sds. solitary in each cell, compressed, suspended. Albumen 0. 



Genera 3, species 90. A very important order in the arts. The Linum has a very tenacious fibre in 

 its bark, which is wrought into thread and cloth, forming the linen of commerce. Some species are 

 cathartic, and yield from their seeds a fine mucilage. Only one genus need be mentioned here, viz. : 



LINUM. 



Celtic llin, a thread ; hence \ivov, Eng. Kgn,flax. 



Sepals, petals, stamens and styles 5, the latter rarely 3 ; capsules 

 5-celled; cells nearly divided by a false dissepiment. (Fig. 11., No. 4.) 



1. L. RIGIDUM. Stiff-leaved Flax. 



St. angular, branching ; Ivs. alternate, rigid, linear, acute ; fls. panicled ; 

 sep. ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, and with the bracts, glandularly fimbriate- 

 serrate on the margins ; caps, globose, shorter than the calyx. Near New 

 Haven, Conn., Robbins! R. I., found by the Prov. Bot. Assoc. Stem 10 16' 

 high, erect, with many suberect branches abov.e. Leaves 4 7" by \ I", sca- 

 brous on the margin. Sepals 3-veined. Flpwers 6 8" diam., sulphur-yellow. 



2. L. VIRGINIANUM. Virginian Flax. 



St. branching above, erect ; Ivs. alternate, linear-lanceolate, those of the 

 root oblong, upper ones acute ; panicles corymbose, terminal, with the flowers 

 racemose on the branches ; sep. broad-ovate, mucronate ; caps, depressed, scarce- 

 ly longer than the calyx. Woods, hills, &c., U. S. and Can. Stem about 

 2f high, slender, leafy, terete, glabrous. Leaves 6 10" by 1 2", with one 

 distinct vein. Flowers 4 6" diam., yellow, on short pedicels. Sepals 1- 

 veined. Jl. 



/?.? diffusum. Wood. St. angular, diffusely branched ; branches and lanceolate 

 Irs. spreading ; fls. very small (scarcely 2" diam.) Wet prairies, la. ! duite 

 different in habit and may prove a new species. 



3. L. USITATISSIMUM. Common Flax. 



St. branching above ; Ivs. alternate, linear-lanceolate, acute ; panicle 

 corymbose ; sep. ovate, acute, 3-veined at the base, membranaceous on the mar- 

 gin ; pet. crenate. (J) Introduced and somewhat naturalized in fields. Stem 1 2f 

 liigh, with 3-veined leaves, and many large, handsome, blue flowers. Jn. Jl. 

 This important plant has been cultivated from remote antiquity, (see Gen. xli. 

 42 ) for the strong fibres of the bark, which are manufactured into linen. The 

 seeds yield linseed oil, so extensively used in mixing paint, printers' ink, &c. 

 They are also medicinal. 



4. L. PERENNE. Perennial Flax. Glabrous, with virgate branches ; Ivs. linear, 

 acute, scattered ; fls. supra-axillary and terminal ; sepals oval, margins mem- 

 branaceous, shorter than the globose capsule ; petals retuse, blue, 3 or 4 times 

 the length of the sepals. 1\. Native West of the Miss, (perhaps not within the 

 17* 



