This species of Linum, although of habit and 
character so distinct from that of Linum usitatis- 
simum, or common flax, has some affinity therewith 
in the fine glossy fibre of its interior bark. When 
this is cleared of its exterior woody matter, and 
placed under the microscope, it exhibits the bright- 
ness of polished silver. This brightness is one of 
the characteristics in which fine linen articles so 
far excel those of cotton. 
It has long been a subject, of anxious enquiry, 
whether or not the ancient Egyptians really were 
acquainted with the manufacture of garments from 
flax. The term linon, amongst the Greeks, seems 
to have had indiscriminate application to articles 
manufactured of cotton or flax, and it has been 
wholly through the aid of the microscope, that this 
question has been determined. 
An admirable article appears in the 24th number 
of the Philosophical Magazine, on this subject, 
wherein it is shewn, by Mr. Baur,that numerous spe- 
cimens of cloth, which had been taken from the en- 
velopes of mummies, had been manufactured from 
flax alone. This Mr. Baur clearly determined by 
microscopic observation of the shape of the fibres of 
both flax and cotton. That of flax he ascertained to 
be cylindrical, straight, and jointed, like a cane; 
that of cotton, a peculiarly flattened tube, collapsed 
most in the middle, so as to assume the shape of a 
double tube; which, subsequently, became twisted, 
corkscrew like. So permanently are these forms re- 
tained, as to be distinguishable even in a sheet of 
paper. We hope to pursue this interesting subject 
still further at a future opportunity. 
Don’s Syst. Bot. v. 1, 452. 
