Linum usitatissimum, 
Common Flax, 
LINUM Lin. Gen. PI. Pentandria Pentagynia. 
Cal. 5-phyIlus. Petala 5. Capf. 5-valvis, io-locularis. Sem. fblitaria. 
Rati Syn. Gen. 24. Herba: Pentapetal® Vasculifer®. 
LINUM ufitatijfimum calycibus capfulifque mucronatis, petalis crenatis, foliis lanceolatis alternis, caule 
fubfolitario. Lin. Syjl. Vcgetab. p. 249. Sp. PI. p. 397. 
LINUM arvenfe. Batch. Pin. 214. 
LINUM fylveftre vulgatius. Park. 1334. Gcr. tmac. 556. Raii Syn. p. 362. Manured Flax. 
Hudfon. FI. Angl. ed. 2 ■ p. 133. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 173. 
RADIX annua, {implex, fibrofa, pallide fufca. 
CAULIS ereCtus, (dquipedalis, bipedalis et ultra, teres, 
glaber, fol-iol'us, fuperue tantum ramolus. 
FOLIA lanceolata, feffilia, conferta, fparfa, fu bereft a, 
integerrima, lievia, trinervia. 
FLORES majufculi, pulchre c<erulei, paniculati. 
PEDUNCULI teretes, glabri. 
CALYX: Pkrianthium 5-phyllum, foliolis olatis, 
acuminatis, carinatis, perfiftentibus, margine 
membranaceis, ad lentem ciliatis, Jig. 1 ■ 
COROLLA*. Petala 5, canulefcentla, cuneifolia, de- 
cidua, venis faturatioribus piCta, unguibus al- 
bis, apicibus iuberofis, Jig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, alba, fabulata, bafi 
■dilatata. Anther® primo oblonga:, demum 
fagittat 32 ,_$if. 3. incumbentes, caeruleae, ad ftylos 
inclinatae et lubcoadunatae, fig. 3. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum, nitidum. Styli 
quinque, longitudine filamentorum, fub-cla- 
vati, caerulelcentes, apice leviter cohaerentes. 
Stigmata fimplicia, Jig. 5. 
PERICARPIUM: Capsula globofa, fubangulata, mu- 
cronata, decemlocularis, quinque val vis, 6. 
SEMINA in fingulo loculamento folitaria, ovato-acuta, 
comp'efla, nitida, Jig. 7. 
ROOT annual, Ample, fibrous, of a pale brown colour. 
STALK, upright, a foot and a half, two feet high or 
more, round, fmooth, leafy, branched above 
only. 
LEAVES lanceolate, feffile, growing thickly together, 
without any regular order, almoft upright, 
perfectly entire. 
FLOWERS large, of a beautiful blue colour, growing 
in a panicle. 
FLOWER-STALKS round and fmooth.. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves, which are 
ovate, pointed, keeled, permanent, the edge 
membranous, and if magnified fringed with 
hairs, Jig. 1. 
COROLLA : 5 blueifh, wedge- fhaped, deciduous Pe- 
tals, ftreaked with veins of a deeper co- 
lour, claws white, tips fomevvhat gnawed, 
A- 2 * 
STAMINA : five white tapering Filaments, dilated at 
the bafe. Anther® at firft oblong, finally 
arrow-fhaped, Jig. 3. incumbent, of a blue 
colour, inclined to the ftyles, and fomewhat 
united, Jig. 3, 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovate, fhining. Styles five, 
the length of the filaments, fomewhat club- 
fhaped, blueifh, (lightly cohering. Stigmata 
fimple, fig. 5. 
SEED-VESSEL : a globular, fomewhat angular and 
pointed Capsule, having ten cavities, and five 
valves, Jig. 6. 
SEEDS one in each cavity, ovate, pointed, flat and 
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 com 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 com field. 
It flowers in June and July. 
In the earlieit 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 difeovered ; for cotton is produced in a 
(late ready for fpinning, whereas flax requires a long procefs before it can be brought to that ftate. 
In the fimplicity of former times, when families in this ifland provided within themfelves moft of the neceflaries 
and conveniencies of life, every garden fupplied a proper quantity of hemp and flax ; but the macerating or 
deeping, which was neceflary to feparate the thread by rotting the (talk, was in many places found to render the 
water fo offenfive and detrimental, that in the reign of Henry VIII. a law was made that “ No perfon Jhall water 
•* any hemp orjlax in anv river, running water, Jlream, brook , or other common pond , where beajls are uj'ed to be watered , 
« on pain of forfeiting , for every time fo doing , twenty fallings. 33 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 wifdom 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 againft 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 impoverifhed land. “ Urit enim lini campum feges.” Virg. G. I. v. 77. 
But, while fpeculative and practical cultivators unfortunately continue to be fuch very diftinCt 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. A§ flax will be new 
to 
