CHAPTER XXX 

 LINACE^ (Flax Family) 



Habit, Stem, Leaf. — The species of this family are annual 

 or perennial herbs, or shrubs. The plants are tap-rooted, 

 and each tap root bears a number of slender, lateral branches. 

 The stems are single. The leaves are simple, narrow, nearly 

 sessile, and usually alternate, although sometimes opposite 

 (L. catharticum) . They are linear, linear-lanceolate, or 

 oblong, and sharply awn-pointed, blunt, or rounded at the 

 apex. 



Inflorescence and Flowers. — The inflorescence may be 

 a few-flowered corymb or cyme, or the flowers may be 

 more or less scattered on the branches. The flowers (Fig. 

 2i) are perfect, regular, and five-parted in all respects. 

 The sepals are imbricated and persistent. The petals are 

 wedge-shaped, and may be as long or longer than the sepals. 

 They may be some shade of yellow or blue, orange with rose- 

 tinted base, red, or white. The five stamens have their 

 filaments united at the base. The outer whorl of stamens 

 is wanting or staminodial. The pistil consists of a five- 

 celled ovary, each cell of which bears two ovules. The five 

 styles may be free, united to the stigmas, or united part way 

 from the base. 



Fruit. — The flax fruit is a five-celled capsule with two seeds 

 in each cell; each cell is partially or completely divided into 

 two by a false partition between the two seeds, thus making 

 the capsule apparently ten-celled (Fig. 21). 



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