150 



THE FLAX FAMILY. 



3. Pale Flax. Linum angustifolium, Huds. (Eig. 189.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 381.) 



Usually a perennial, with the decum- 

 bent stems and narrow leaves of some 

 varieties of the perennial F., but with 

 the pointed sepals of the common F. It 

 is also occasionally annual only, but al- 

 ways differs from both the preceding 

 species in its much smaller pale-blue 

 flowers, the petals seldom exceeding 5 

 lines in length. 



In waste places, chiefly in limestone 

 districts, very common in southern Eu- 

 rope, and extending up western Erance 

 to southern and western England, and to 

 Ireland. Fl. summer. 



Fig. 189. 



4. Cathartic Flax. Linum catharticum, Linn. (Fig. 190.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 382.) 



A very slender, erect, or slightly de- 

 cumbent glabrous annual, from 3 or 4 

 to 6 or 8 inches high, with small, op- 

 posite, obovate or oblong leaves, and 

 very small flowers, of a pure white, on 

 long, slender pedicels. Sepals all pointed. 

 Petals obovate, scarcely 2 lines long. 



In meadows and pastures, very com- 

 mon throughout Europe, except the ex- 

 treme north, and in west central Asia. 

 Abundant in Britain. FL all summer. 



Fig. 190. 





