LINAGES 113 



LINAGES 



Herbs or under-shrubs with entire, alternate leaves, no stipules, 

 and regular flowers. Sepals 5, rarely fewer, distinct or united at 

 the base. Petals 4 or 5, twisted in the bud. Stamens usually 10, 

 usually free. Styles 5, rarely fewer. Ovary with as many cells 

 as styles. Ovules i or 2 in each cell. 



A small family widely spread over the globe. 



LiNUM L. Flax. 



Sepals, petals, and stamens 5. Cells of the capsule 5, though 

 apparently 10, each being divided into two by a nearly complete 

 partition. 



A rather large genus, particularly abundant in the Mediterranean 

 region and Western Asia. 



Linum alpinum Jacq. 



Rootstock woody. Stem glabrous like the whole plant, few- 

 flowered. Leaves linear-lanceolate. Flowers large ; petals azure 

 blue, obovate. Sepals ovate, shortly mucronate, shorter than the 

 capsule. 



Stony places in calcareous Alps. June, July. 



Distribution. — Carpathians, Eastern, Central, and Western Alps, 

 Jura, and in many parts of hilly France ; Western Asia. 



Linum tenuifoUum L. (Plate III.) 



Rootstock rather woody. Stem a foot high, downy below. 

 Leaves linear, acute, rough at the edges. Sepals lanceolate, 

 acuminate, subulate, glandular-ciliate, longer than the capsule. 

 Petals lilac or rose, obovate, shortly acuminate. 



Dry stony places in the hills and sub-alps. May to July. 



Distribution. — Central and Southern Europe; Western Asia; 

 Algeria. 



Linum viscosum L. 



A downy, glandular flax, with thick root. Stems 1-2 feet high, 

 erect. Leaves velvety, oblong-lanceolate, entire, with 3-5 nerves. 

 Flowers rose or rose-lilac, large and handsome, in long corymbs, 

 sub-sessile. Sepals oval-acuminate, ciliate, glandular, 3-nerved. 

 Petals 3 times longer than the sepals, veined with violet. Capsule 

 globular-apiculate. 



Meadows and pastures in the hills and sub-Alps. May to July. 



Distribution.— MsLTitime Alps, Liguria, Pyrenees, N. Italy, Spain, 

 Portugal, Austria, Southern Germany. 



Linum salsoloides Lamk. 



Woody stock, stems about a foot high, downy above. Leaves 

 very close together below, linear, stiff, i-nerved. Flowers rose or 

 flesh-coloured, pedicelled. Sepals oval-lanceolate, acuminate, 



