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L I N U M anguftifolium.
Narrow-leaved Flax.
P E N T s l N D R l .4 Penlagynia.
G est. C har. Cal. 5-leaved. Petals 5 . Cap/, with 10
valves and 10 cells. Seeds folitary.
Spec. C h a r . Calyx obfoletely three-nerved, iharp-
pointed, as well as the capfule, and linear-lanceolate
three-nerved leaves. Stems numerous, a
little inclined.
S y n . Linum anguftifolium. Hudf. FI. A n . 134.
With. P o t. A rr. 32,9.
Li. tenuifolium £. Linn. Sp. PI. 399.
L. iylveftre anguftifolium, floribus dilute purpuraf-
centibus vel carneis. Rail Syn. 362.
C o m m u n i c a t e d by d . e . Davy, Efq. who found it
wild in great plenty at Darlham, Suffolk, flowering in July.
It occurs in dry fandy paftures, efpecially near the fea ; and is
faid to be molt plentiful in Cornwall and Devonfhire.
Linnseus very improperly confounded this with his L. tenuifolium,
which has a very long-pointed calyx with glandular fer-
ratures, and leaves with rough edges and only a central nerve.
That is Haller’s No. 838, as we learn from Mr. Davall. Ours
is molt nearly allied to L. ufitatijftmum in the ftrudture of all
its parts, except in having a woody perennial root producing
many Items •, it differs alfo at firft fight in having fmaller paler
flowers. The leaves have 3, fometimes 5, nerves, their edges
entire and fmooth. Calyx-leaves fmooth, elliptical, with a
fharp point; in the flowering ftate fcarcely more than one nerve
is vifible, but as the fruit ripens the calyx becomes diftin&ly
3-nerved. The petals are entire, or flightly notched. Valves
of the capfule diftindtly 10, cohering by their inflexed margins,
which make the partitions of the 10 cells. We have therefore
altered the generic character, as M. de Juffieu has done, to to
(not 5) valves. We cannot however agree with that learned
botanift in referring this genus to his order of Caryophyllea•
Surely it belongs to the Gerania. The cells of the capfule are
clofely analogous to arilli, and about the reft of the characters
there can be no doubt. See JuJf. Gen. 303.
L. perenne, tab. 40, is fufficiently diftinguifhable from this
fpecies by its more obtufe 5-nerved calyx, and more capitate
ftigmas.