LlNUM USITATISSIMUM. COMMON FLAX. 



LINUM Lin. Gen, PI. Pentandria Pentagynia. 



Cal. 5-phyllus. Petala 5. Cap/. 5-valvis, id-locukris. Sem. folitaria. 



Raii Syn. Gen. 24. Herbje Pentapetalje Vasculifer^e. 



LINUM ufitatijfimwn calycibus capfulifque mucronatis, petalis crenatis, foliis lanceolatis alternis, caule 

 fubiblitario. Lin. S\Ji. Vcgetab. p. 249. Sp. PI. p. 397. 



LINUM arvenfe. Bank. Pin. 2 r 4. 



LINUM fylveftre vulgatius. Park. 1334. Ger. emac. 556. Rail Syn. p. 362. Manured Flax. 

 Hudfon. Ft Angl td. 2. p. 133. Lightfoot Fl. Scot. p. ij^. 



RADIX annua, fimplex, flbrofa, pallide fufca. f ROOT annual, fitnple, fibrous, of a pale brown colour. 



CAULIS eredtus, fefquipedalis, bipedalis et ultra, teres, | STALK upright, a foot and a half, two feet high or 



glaber, foliolus, fuperae tantum ramofus. more, round, fmooth, leafy, branched above 



I on ty' 



FOLIA lanceolata, lemlia, conferta, fparfa, fuberecte, | LEAVES lanceolate, feffile, growing thickly to°-ether, 

 integerrima, laevia, trinervia. f without any regular order, almoft upright, 



I perfectly entire. 



FLORES majufculi, pulchre casrulei, paniculati. ? FLOWERS large, of a beautiful blue colour, growing 



I in a panicle. 



PEDUNCULI teretes, glabrl f FLOWER-STALKS round and fmooth. 



CALYX: Perianthium 5-phyllum, foliolis ovatis, | CALYX : a Perianthium of five leaves, which are 

 acum'matis, carinatis, periiitentibus, margine^ ovate, pointed, keeled, permanent, the edre 



membranaceis, ad lentem ciliatis, Jig. 1. | membranous, and if magnified fringed with 



I hairs, fig. 1. 



COROLLA: Petala 5, cserulefcentia, cuneifoha, de- % COROLLA: 5 blueifh, wedge-fhaped, deciduous Pe- 

 cidua, venis faturatioribus pifta,. unguibus ai- 1 tals, ftreaked with veins of a deeper co- 



bis, apicibus luberofis, jig. 2. % lour, claws white, tips fomewhat gnawed, 



I A' 2< 



STAMINA: Fil amenta quinque, alba, fubulata, bafi g STAMINA : five white tapering Filaments, dilated at 

 dilatata. Anthers prima oblongae, demumt the bafe. Antherje at firft oblong, finally 



fagittatae,j%. 3.incumbentes, caeruleae, adltylos| arrow-fhaped, jig. 3. incumbent, of a blue 



inclinatae et fubcoadunatae, fig. 3. 4. t colour, inclined to the flyles, and fomewhat 



I united, jig. 3, 4. 



PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum, nitidum. Styli % PISTILLUM : Germen ovate, mining. Styles five, 

 quinque, longitudine filamentorum, fub-cla-| the length of the filaments, fomewhat club- 



vati, caerulefcentes", apice leviter cohasrentes. ^ fhaped, blueifh, {lightly cohering. Stigmata 



Stigmata fimplicia, j%. 5. | Ample, fig. 5. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula globofa, fubangulata, mu | SEED-VESSEL : a globular, fomewhat angular and 

 cronata, decemlocularis, quinquevalyis,^- 6. t pointed Capsule, having ten cavities, and five 



I valves, fig. 6. 



SEMINA in fingulo loculamento folitaria, ovato-acuta, f SEEDS one in each cavity, ovate, pointed, flat and 

 comprefla, nitida, fig. 7. * glofly, fig- 7. 



It may be doubted, perhaps, whether the common flax, found in any part of the kingdom, may not originally 

 have been introduced from abroad ; yet Mr. Hudson fpeaks of it as a common plant in Dorfetfhire and Devonfhire, 

 and entertains no idea of its being a doubtful native. However this may be, the few fpecimens of it which we find 

 occafionally in corn fields and among rubbifh, particularly in the neighbourhood of Batterfea (for flax is not culti- 

 vated near London), have doubtlefs been introduced there with the produce of the garden or the corn field. 



It flowers in June and July. 



In the eariiefr record we have, flax is mentioned as a plant cultivated in Egypt (Exodus ch. ix. v. 31.) ; for which 

 reafon antiquaries have been furprifed to find the veftments of mummies made of cotton. It is highly probable, 

 however, that mankind. made thread of cotton before the ufe of flax was difcovered ; for cotton is produced in a 

 ftate readv for fpinning, whereas flax requires a long procefs before it can be brought to that irate. 



In the fimplicity of former times, when families in this ifland provided within themfelves raoft of the necefTaries 

 and conveniences of life, every garden fupplied a proper quantity of hemp and flax ; but the macerating or 

 fteeping, which was necefTary to feparate the thread by rotting the ftalk, was in many places found to render the 

 water lb offenfive and detrimental, that in the reign of Henry VIII. a law was made that " No per/on Jhail water 

 " anv hemp orfiax in any river, running water, Jlream, brook, or other common pond, where beafis are ufied to be watered.^ 

 *' on pain of forfeiting, for every time Jo doing, tiventy fmlUngs. ^ Hen. VIII. c. 17. § 1. Might not this incon- 

 venience be prevented, and the procefs much accelerated, by ufing boiling water, and a proper quantity of the afhes 

 of any vegetable ? Vid. below. 



The wildom of Parliament hath lately thought proper to encourage, by a premium, the growth of hemp and 

 flax in this kingdom, certainly with a very laudable intention, as long as we procure thefe articles from countries 

 where the balance of trade is again ft us ; or, in other words, while we continue to pay for them in money, and not 

 with our manufactures. The premium is four pence for every fourteen pounds of flax. 



The ancients were of opinion, that flax impoverished land. " Urit enim lini campum feges." Virg. G. I. v. 77. 

 But, while fpeculative and practical cultivators unfortunately continue to be fuch very diilincl people, the rules 

 which we find in books cannot be much depended on. However, it may be a caution to" thofe who have not a 

 plentiful command of manure not to engage too largely with this plant without proper trials. As flax will be new 



to 



