Line#.] 
THE COLONY OE VICTORIA. 
179 
Glabrous, perennial; leaves alternate, lanceolate-linear or subulate-linear or the lower ones oblong’; 
stipular glands'-wanting*; flowers corymbose- or racemose-paniculate; pedicels always erect, longer than the 
calyx; sepals ovate, acuminate or cuspidulate, entire or slightly ciliolated, membranous at the margin; 
petals blue rarely white, about three times longer than the calyx; their unguis smooth, short; filaments 
about as long as the sepals, short-connate, extending to the height of the styles; anthers narrow cordate- 
oblong, yellow; staminodia obliterated; styles connate to beyond the middle; stigmas linear-clavate, gradually 
passing into the styles; capsule little or half longer than the calyx, short-pointed; secondary septa imperfect, 
at the inner edge scantily ciliated; seeds brown. 
In fertile and sterile localities throughout the greater part of the colony, ascending to the Alps; also 
distributed over other wide tracts of extratropical Australia. 
An herb greatly varying according to the influences which soil, situation and climate must exercise 
on so widely diffused a plant, flowering already in the first year of growth, and then having* entirety the 
appearance of an annual. Root hard, more or less thick or slender, flexuose, tortuose or more straight, with 
more or less, ramifications and fibrillse. Stems cylindrical, streaked, simple or often towards the summit 
branched, at an average from a span to 2 feet high, occasionally, however, but from 1± to a few inches long 
and then only one- or few-flowered, sometimes attaining the height of several feet, often many from one root. 
Leaves from a few lines to 1 \ inch long, ^-2 lines broad, usually acute, more or less green or glaucous, with 
a conspicuous midnerve and a less perfect lateral nerve on each side. Racemes or corymbs generally few- 
flowered, terminating the branchlets, often collected into a fastigiate panicle. Pedicels opposite to a diminu¬ 
tive bract-like leaf, 2-16 lines long, slender-filiform and slightly angular. Sepals free, 11-3 lines long, with 
a distinct midnerve and upwards evanescent lateral nerves, green with exception of the margin; the inner 
ones sometimes nearly orbicular. Petals much more frequently blue than white, broadly obovate- or obcordate- 
cuneate, blunt or minutely acuminate, entire, finety veined. Filaments membranous, glabrous, concrete at 
the base. Anthers j—I line long, basifixed, linear-oblong, with cordate base. Pollen-gTains globular, smooth. 
Staminodia if present very minute. Style l|-2 lines long*, capillary, glabrous. Stigmas §-l line long, 
semiterete, upwards thickened. Capsule 2-4 lines long, pale or fulvous and shining outside, tardily secedent 
into its five primary, carpels, which are readily separable into their two constituent parts. Secondaiy septa 
not fully extending to the axis. Seeds brown, ovate, compressed, shining, 1-1 i line long, very minutely 
dotted. Testa emitting when moistened a copious mucus. Albumen hardly any. Cotyledons flat, ovate, 
nearly thrice as long as the cylindrical radicle. 
We are acquainted with no other but this species of Australian Flax. The L. siuedifolium (Planch, 
in Hook. Lond. Journ. vii. 168) appeal’s to constitute one of the many varieties of L. marginale. The L. 
Babingtonii (Planch, in Hook. Lond. Journ. vii. 179; Cliococca tenuifolia, Babingt. in Transact. Linn. Soc. 
xix. 34, t. 3), originally pronounced as indigenous to Australia, seems not to differ specifically from L. sela- 
ginoides, Lam., and is most probably of South American origin. As immigrated L. Gallicum is noted in 
East Australia. 
The Australian Flax differs, as pointed out by Dr. Planchon, from the European L. angustifolium 
principally" in highty connate styles. L. monogynum, a Hew Zealandian species, is to be distinguished by 
sepals, which show hardly any r membranous margin, by- usually larger dowel’s, distinetty developed staminodia 
and frequently larger capsules and seeds. The bast of the Australian Flax is of considerable strength and well 
adapted for textile fabrics. The aborigines convert it into nets, fishing lines and other articles of great 
strength and neatness. The seeds may be used for mucilaginous decoctions, for expressing oil, for preparing 
poultices and for any other uses for which the common linseed is employed. 
To the Gruinal division, as a distinct order next to Limnanthese, may possibly be referable the singular 
genus Cadellia, previousty alluded to under Malpighiacese. Professor Planchon has lucidly pointed out its 
affinity" to Limnanthes, Biebersteinia and Suriana. Dr. Jos. Hooker observed several ovules in each of its 
ovaries. 
Z 2 
