COMMON FLAX. 123 



one of its uses being to supply the principal material for 

 printers' ink. Indeed, the flax has done more for literature 

 than any other plant that can be named. The linum, or 

 lin, supplies from its stem the fibre for linen, and from 

 linen waste is made paper. The ink and the paper may 

 therefore be said to be derived from one and the same 

 source, and this plant is the commonest thing in the world, 

 and grows everywhere, while as to its beauty, we may search 

 far ere we shall find a plant of its own range of habit 

 and colour that can surpass it. To compare it with the 

 plumbago is not unfair, and we incline to the opinion that 

 in the comparison the flax will have the best of it. 



There are four British species of flax, perhaps ; at all 

 events, there are four in the books. One we will consider 

 disposed of. The next is the perennial flax [Linum perenne) . 

 It often so nearly resembles the common species that we 

 doubt its specific independence. However, the sepals are 

 obtuse, the root-stock is perennial, the stems are sometimes 

 procumbent, and the plant is a mountaineer, whereas the 

 common flax is a lowland plant. The pale flax is Linum 

 angusUfoliwn ; it has pointed sepals, but in general com- 

 plexion resembles the perennial flax, and it is sometimes a 

 perennial and sometimes an annual. Its common name 

 indicates that its flowers are of a paler blue than the others. 

 The cathartic flax is a slender annual with white flowers, 

 and one that will puzzle the young botanist who has not 

 yet mastered the characters of the flax family. 



The Alpine flax (L. nlphium) is perennial, and of exceed- 

 ingly dwarf habit. It is a pretty rock plant, and requires 

 a sunny situation and a dry soil. The one-styled flax 

 (L. monogynum) is so called because it usually has one 

 style instead of five, but this character is not constant. It 



