L I N 
1 3 - -Linum ( Cathay ticum ) foliis oppofitis ovato-lanceo- 
latis, caule dichotomo, corollis acutis. Hort. Cliff. 
372. Flax 'with fpear-fhaped leaves placed oppofite , ^ 
Jialk divided by pairs , petals to the flower. 
Linum pratenfe, flofculis exiguis. C. B. P. 214. Mea- 
dow Flax with [mail flowers , commonly called Mountain 
Flax. 
.14. Linum ( Maritimum ) calycibus ovatis acutis muticis, 
folds lanceolatis inferioribus oppofitis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
280. Flax with oval , acute > chaffy empalements , 
fpear-Jhaped leaves , the lower of which grow oppofite. 
Linum maritimum luteum. C. B. P. 214. Fellow ma- 
ritime Flax. 
The firft fort is the Flax which is cultivated in moft 
parts of Europe, but particularly in the northern parts; 
this is an annual plant, which ufually rifes with a {len- 
der unbranched (talk a foot and a half high, gar- 
nifhed with narrow fpear-fhaped leaves placed alter- 
nate, ending in acute points, and are of a gray co- 
lour. The flowers are produced on the top of the 
{talks, each ftalk fuftaining four or five blue flowers, 
compofed of five petals, which are narrow at their 
bafe, but broad at the top, where they are flightly 
crenated. The empalement of the flower is cut into 
five parts, which end in acute points. The flowers 
appear in June, and are fucceeded by roundifh cap- 
fules which have ten cells, opening with five valves, 
which are terminated by acute points ; each cell con- 
tains one fmooth flattifh feed, ending in a point, of 
a brownifh colour. The feeds ripen in September, 
and the plants foon after perifh. 
When this plant is cultivated in the fields after the 
ufual method, it feldom rifes higher than is before 
mentioned ; nor do the fralks branch out, but when 
they are allowed more room * they will rife more than 
two feet high, and put out two or three fide branches 
toward the top, efpecially if the foil is pretty good 
where it is.fown. 
The fecond fort differs from the firft, in having 
ffronger and fhorter ftalks branching out much more. 
The leaves are broader, the flowers are larger, and the 
petals are indented at their extremities. The feed- 
veffels are alfo much larger, and the foot-ftalks are 
longer ; thefe differences are lafting, for I have culti- 
vated this and the common Flax on the fame ground 
upward of thirty years, and have never found either 
of them alter. 
The third fort grows naturally in the fouth of France, 
in Italy, and Spain ; this rifes from a foot to eighteen 
inches high, branching out almoft to the bottom into 
many long {lender branches, which are garnifhed with 
narrow, fpear-fhaped, acute-pointed leaves, placed 
without order ; thefe are rough to the touch. The 
flowers are produced at the end of the branches, al- 
moft in form of an umbel ; they are fmaller than 
thofe of the manured fort, and are of a pale blue co- 
lour. The feed-veffels are much fmaller, and not fo 
round. It flowers and feeds about the fame time as 
the former. 
The fourth fort grows naturally about Vienna and in 
Hungary ; this fort feldom rifes more than a foot 
high, with a {lender ftalk, which divides into three 
cr four {lender naked foot-ftalks at the top, each 
fuftaining two or three flowers, which are of a pale 
blue colour. The ftalks are garnifhed with fhort, 
narrow, briftlv leaves, (landing erect, which are rough 
on their outfide. This flowers and feeds about the 
fame time as the former, and the plant foon after 
decays. 
There are two or three varieties of this, which differ 
in the colour of their flowers, but in other refpedts 
are the fame. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in fome parts of Eng- 
land, particularly in Cambridgelhire ; this hath a 
perennial root, from which arife three or four in- 
clining ftalks, garnifhed with fhort narrow leaves to- 
ward their bafe, but upward have fcarce any. The 
flowers are produced at the end of the ftalks, fitting 
very clofe ; they are of a blue colour, and about the 
fize of thofe of the manured kind, and are fucceeded 
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by pretty large round feed-veffels, ending in acute 
points. This flowers about the fame time as the 
common Flax, but the roots will continue four or five 
years. 
The fixth fort grows naturally in Siberia ; it hath a 
perennial root, from which arife fevehal ftrong ftalks, 
in number proportional to the fize of the root, and in 
height according to the goodnefs of the foil where it 
grows ; for in rich moift ground they will rife near 
five feet high, but in middling ground about three 
feet ; thefe divide into feveral branches upward, and 
are garnifhed with narrow fpear-fhaped leaves, placed 
alternate ; they are not much more than an inch long, 
and an eighth of an inch broad, of a deep green, ending 
in acute points. The flowers are produced at the 
end of the branches, forming a kind of umbel, the 
ftalks rifing nearly of the fame height. The flowers 
are large, and of a fine blue colour ; thefe appear in 
June, and are fucceeded by obtufe feed-veffels, which 
ripen in September. 
The feventh fort grows naturally in Spain, from 
whence I received the feeds ; this hath a perennial 
root, from whence come out feveral trailing ftalks, 
which are clofely garnifhed with leaves ; thefe never 
rife much from the ground, but between thefe come 
out upright ftalks, which rife upward of two feet high, 
garnifhed with pretty long, narrow, fpear-fhaped 
leaves, placed without order. The flowers grow in 
a fort of panicle toward the upper part of the branches ; 
they are about the fize of thofe of the common fort, 
and are of the fame colour. It flowers and ripens its 
feeds about the fame time, and the roots continue fe- 
veral years. 
The eighth fort I received from Iftria; this hath a bi- 
ennial root, from which arife two or three ftalks, 
which divide into feveral branches, at about fix inches 
from the root, which divide again into fmaller toward 
the top ; they are garnifhed with fhort, narrow, acute- 
pointed leaves, placed alternately. The flowers come 
out from the fide of the branches, Handing upon long 
foot-ftalks. The empalement of the flower is com- 
pofed of five broadifh leaves ending in acute points, 
which fpread open ; the flowers are of the fame fize 
and colour as the common Flax, and appear at the 
fame feafon. The feeds ripen in the autumn, and the 
roots abide feveral years. 
The ninth fort grows naturally in Hungary and Au- 
ftria; this hath a perennial root, from which arife 
feveral ftalks near two feet high, which are thick, 
firm, and hairy, dividing at the top into feveral 
branches, and are garnifhed with broader leaves than 
the other fpecies, which are hairy. The flowers 
grow along the ftalks alternately ; they are large, 
and of a deep blue colour, appearing at the fame time 
with the common fort, and the feeds ripen in the 
autumn. 
The tenth fort grows naturally in Germany and the 
fouth of France, amongft the Corn. This is an annual 
plant, rifing with an upright ftalk near a foot and a 
half high, garnifhed with fpear-fhaped acute-pointed 
leaves, which are rough on their edges ; they are 
about the fame length of thofe of the common Flax, 
but a little broader, placed alternately. The ftalks* 
divide toward the top into feveral branches, each fuf- 
taining two or three yellow flowers, fitting in fpear- 
fhaped acute-pointed empalements. Thefe appear in 
July, but unlefs the autumn proves favourable, the 
feeds never ripen in England. 
The eleventh fort grows naturally in Spain ; the feeds 
of it were fent me from Madrid by Dr. Hortega. This 
hath a fhrubby ftalk which rifes a foot high, fending 
out feveral branches which are garnifhed with very 
narrow leaves coming out in clufters; but the flowering 
branches are garnifhed with broader and longer leaves, 
placed alternately at every joint. The flowers are pro- 
duced at the end of the branches, Handing erect upon 
long {lender foot-ftalks ; they have acute-pointed em- 
palements. The petals of the flower are large, entire, 
and -white, but before the flowers open, they are of a 
pale yellow colour. Thefe flowers appear in July, 
