118 LINACEiE. LiNUM. 



1. LINUM. Linn. ; Endl. gen. 605G. FLAX. 



["Llin, in Celtic, signifies thread ; whence lirum, in Greek, and liiivm, its derivation in Latin." Loud.] 

 Sepals (distinct, entire), petals and stamens 5. Styles 5, or rarely 3. 



1. Li.\UM ViRGiNiANiM, Ltfin. IMld Flox. 



Smooth ; stem corymbosely branching above ; leaves alternate, oblong-lanceolate or linear, 

 the lowermost oblong or spatulate ; divisions of the corymbose panicle racemose, leafy ; 

 flowers (yellow) on short pedicels ; sepals ovate, mucronate, 1 -nerved, a little shorter than the 

 mature globose-depressed capsule. — Walt.fl. Car. p. 117 ; Michx.Jl. 2. p. 36 ; Pursh, fl. 1. 

 p. 210 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 375 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 330 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 123 ; DC. prodr. 1. 

 p. 424 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1 . p. 105 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 210 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 

 1. p. 204. 



Root biennial. Stem 1-2 feet high, slender, often with a tuft of short leafy stolons at the 

 root. Leaves about an inch long, marked with minute pellucid dots, rarely opposite. Flowers 

 about one-fourth of an inch in diameter ; the pedicels 1-3 lines long, racemose and some- 

 what secund. Capsule scarcely 2 lines in diameter ; splitting at maturity tliroOgh both the 

 true and the (complete) spurious dissepiments, into 10 indehiscent half-carpels or cocci. 

 Seeds oblong, dull, yellowish. 



Dry open woods, hill-sides and fields; common. Fl. June - August. — The fibre of the 

 stem has but little strength. 



2. LiNUM usiTATissiMUM, Linn. Common Flax. 



Smooth ; stem branching above ; leaves alternate, linear-lanceolate, very acute ; panicle 

 corymbose, loose ; sepals ovate, acute, 1-nerved (3-nerved at the base), membranaceous on 

 the margin ; petals somewhat crenate (blue) ; capsule acuminate. — Smith, fl. Brit. I. p. 342; 

 Eng. hot. t. 1357 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 210 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 330 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. 

 p. 204. 



Annual. Stem 2-3 feet high. Leaves 3-nerved. Flowers large : petals obovaie. Cap- 

 sule depressed-globose. 



In fields ; not uncommon : scarcely naturahzed. Fl. June - July. Fr. August. 



