Flax Linum usitatissimum fibers

Different varieties of flax Linum usitatissimum) are grown for fiber and for oil. Linseed oil is well known as one of the most unsaturated vegetable oils, resulting from its high level of linolenic acid (50-60%, Table 4). As a consequence of this, it oxidizes and polymerizes very readily and is used in paints, varnishes, and inks, in the production of linoleum, and as a sealant for concrete. These uses diminished with the appearance of alternative petroleum-based products, but the natural oil is coming back into favor on environmental grounds (33). 

Weaving plant fibers is a relatively recent development in human history, apparently for technological reasons. Before our ancestors learned to spin or weave, they discovered which plants contained useful fibers and how these fibers could be extracted. According to archaeological evidence, one of the earliest plants used for fiber was flax (Linum usitatissimum). It was woven into linen at least 8000 years ago. The cultivation and uses of flax were beautifully illustrated on the walls of Egyptian tombs (Figure 7B). 

Diederichsena A, Ulrich A (2009) Variability in stem fiber content and its associatiother characteristics in 1177 flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) genebank accessions. Ind Crops Prod 30(l) 33-39... 

The flax plant belongs to the family Flax, genus Linum. Of the 150 species of this genus, only one, Linum usitatissimum, produces commercially useful fiber. 

Easson D, Cooper K (2002) A study of the use of the trimesium salt of glyphosate to desiccate and ret flax and linseed (Linum usitatissimum) and of its effects on the yield of straw, seed and fiber. J Agric Sci 138(l) 29-37... 

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