Linum usitatissimum

Flower of perennial line.

The flax orlinseed (Linum usitatissimum) is a herbaceous plant of the Linaceae family. Its stem is used to make fabrics and its seed, called linseed, is used to extract flour (linseed meal) and oil (linseed oil).

Description

Annual plant with hollow stems up to 80 cm long, erect, striated, generally only branched in the upper half, glabrous. The leaves, alternate, 10-40 by 1-7 mm, are lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, generally three-veined, glabrous. The inflorescence is a lax panicle, composed of long pedicelled flowers. The sepals measure 7-9 mm, are ovate-acuminate, three-veined, the internal ones with a more or less wide and fimbriated scariosity at the top. The 5 petals of 12-21 mm are obovate in shape. The fruits are capsules of 8-12 mm, globose, pointed with 10 locules with seeds of a dark, shiny color and of a flattened and elongated shape of 5-6 mm. The dried fruit is called "baga" or "gargoyle". In the northern hemisphere it flowers from February to April.

Distribution

It is native to the region of the Nile, Euphrates, and Tigris. Introduced for cultivation in the rest of the world since ancient times.

Cultivation

From vlasoogst (1904) ("Line culture") painted by Emile Claus.

Flax is grown in almost all climates, in Canada, the United States, Egypt, Argentina, Spain, France, Russia and even Sweden. In temperate or cold countries, near the seashore, it is where it supplies the most select products as a filamentous plant; these countries are England, France, Belgium, Holland and Livonia, although the largest producer in the world is Canada.

Siliceous-clay soils are suitable for flax cultivation, very humid soil is detrimental since it cannot be tilled, leveled and prepared for sowing in good time.

As for the vegetal layer of the land dedicated to the cultivation of flax, it must not be less than 50 cm thick. It is important that the lower layer of the soil in which flax is grown is regularly permeable, and excess moisture and drought are equally detrimental to its good growth.

For clayey soils, it is enough that the spring work is 10 cm deep. If after sowing the clay is not too plastic, use the compression roller and what is needed is that the upper layer of the soil is smooth.

The rest of the plant layer is preserved with the freshness it requires and the necessary permeability so that the flax roots can easily penetrate it and assimilate the nutrients.

A good clover forms a good preparatory crop for flax and in Flanders they often sow carrots and clover among the same flax, but with the precaution that the flax has already grown and avoid excessive development that could harm it.

Varieties

• Cold or large linen: it is very late, of little grain and throws some tall and thin stems, of which a fine and long hilaza is extracted, which is the one that serves to manufacture those drummers and those magnificent lace that have formed and constitute the fame of all Flanders.
• Warm linen: it is flattened or has stems of little height, branchy and loaded with capsules. The hilaza it gives is short and enough.
• Medium line: it occupies the medium term between the two previous varieties and is the one cultivated.

Sowing time

In northern Europe, planting is done in spring and in southern countries and South America, before winter. In the regions where the winter is mild, they are also cultivated in autumn, in less fertile soil, and give a more considerable product in grain and yarn.

But the flax will be coarser and of less value than those obtained in spring. Spring flax gives less fiber and less grain than winter flax, but the fiber is finer and more subtle.

Flax planted too late grows and matures too quickly; thus they are situated in conditions analogous to those of the flaxes of Russia.

Those that are planted in May or early April suffer from bad weather, which delays their first development and strengthens the roots. When the heat arrives, the vegetation is very vigorous and they are stronger than those of May.

In Flanders two varieties of spring flax are known; one is sown in March, the other in May, which is less productive and more casual, gives more stems and less yarn, when grown on strong, clayey soils.

In Egypt, a very hot country due to the low elevation of the soil above sea level and the scorching winds that blow from the desert, it produces large quantities of flax. Hot weather lasts from March to November.

Flax is sown in December at around 14 °C and harvested in March at around 20 °C. On the other hand, early sowings, flax sown in autumn never develop, the stems remain short and the yarn is low for mechanical spinning.

Sowing

Flax is grown in pulverized soil. The grain is covered in favor of a thick-tineed rake, and the soil, if its surface is too light, is given firmness by means of a roller.

Rotations

Regarding rotations, an interval of 6 to 8 years must elapse between two flax crops on the same plot, since its roots secrete linein, a toxic substance. Although exceptions can be made for land with extraordinary fertility (both in South America, and in Odessa in the Ukraine, flax can be harvested every year, but the conflict is the 'bacterial load' of pests that grows exponentially).; and in certain areas of Holland and La Vendée in France the same).

However, it is always advantageous to improve the land to vary the seeds by means of a good rotation, as is done in Belgium and in their crops they alternate wheat, oats, flax, clover, potatoes, etc., causing only each to grow. seed once in the course of the rotation.

In the regions of the Netherlands where the land is only fertilized every seven years, rapeseed is planted first, then wheat, and flax the third year.

The Grain

Fruits (capsules).

Linen seeds

The best grain or seed is the one with the most weight and volume, a light brown color. One of the best is flax grain from Russia but it is sometimes difficult to tell for sure the quality of the grains. In the past, some farmers experimented with the grain before buying it by sowing flax grains in a pot in February, an unfavorable time, and if it germinated it was considered to be of good quality. It is in Russia where there are the best grains of flax for seed because the plant is cultivated from the point of view of reproduction in Livonia and Odessa.

Cultivation is done on substantial land and little grain is entrusted to the land. The plant is then allowed to reach full maturity, because the stem is the secondary object and is still abandoned. In places where cultivation is for filamentous matter, the grain that is harvested is only sold for grinding.

The selection of the grain used for seed depends on the quality of the soil and the product that is prioritized: the filamentous matter or the grain. If the crop is to obtain fiber and the soils are light, the vigorous seed is the best suited; like the grain of Riga, which somehow supplies with its power of vegetation what the earth lacks. In the strong or clayey soils, the New Zealand grain, called revelaer, gives finer products and more value than that of Riga.

Gathering

For the collection of flax whose object is its exploitation, it must be done before the stem has reached its complete maturity, that is, they are green and slightly tinged with yellow. The grain is still green, it is juicy and it is crushed with pressure and it is seasoned enough to be used for the production of oil.

If the objective is fiber, it is harvested in full bloom, taking advantage of the stem. If the crop is to obtain good seed, the plant is allowed to fully mature, in which case it is enough to prevent the opening of the capsules and prevent part of the grain from falling to the ground, to avoid losses.

Harvest Verification

A sufficient amount of flax is taken for half the length of the plant so that the stems do not break in the hand and the operation can proceed quickly, and a certain number of short plants are left on the ground, harmful.

The difference in length of the filaments in the same part of the flax is considered an essential defect, for which reason farmers make separate batches with bundles of flax that differ considerably in length.

This choice is verified as the flax is torn up, it is enough to put bundles of the same quality in the same piles. In the field, the farmers who uproot the flax are followed by others who tie the stems in bundles or sheaves, and if the flax is to be cured by means of stagnant water, the farmers tie it in sheaves about 30 cm in diameter.

Once the flax has been plucked, take care to detach the capsules that contain the grain, and this is done by means of a rip or kind of iron comb 35 cm long which is firmly nailed to a bench that can be carried comfortably from side to side. The grain is removed when the linens placed in pavilions have acquired a sufficient degree of dryness.

This provision allows the linens to dry more quickly and regularly in favor of it; in fact, the air circulates everywhere with equal ease, which cannot happen when the bundles are tied.

Since the best way to preserve the grain is in its own capsule, whenever it is going to be used, it will be an opportune time to thresh and winnow it.

Mainly used as a textile material called tow.

Production

The production by country is described in the following table:

Ten Major Linen Producers — 2017
Country	Production (metric tonne)	Note to the foot
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan	1,058,247
Russia Russia	787,923
CanadaCanada	578,000	♪
ChinaChina	362 034	♪
India	184 000
United States	97 590
EthiopiaEthiopia	96 863	♪
Ukraine Ukraine	46 140
United KingdomUnited Kingdom	46 000
France	42 000	♪
World	2 794 394	A
No symbols = official data, * = unofficial data, A = Attached (can include official, semi-official or estimated data)

Textile fiber

Taxonomy

Linum usitatissimum was described by Charles Linnaeus and published in Sp. Pl. 277 1753.

Etymology

Linum: generic name derived from the Greek word: "linum" = "linen" used by Theophrastus.

usitatissimum: Latin epithet meaning "most useful"

Sinonimia

• Linum crepitans (Boenn.) Dumort.
• Linum humile Mill.
• Linum indehiscens (Neilr.) Vavilov & Elladi
• Linum usitatissimum var. crepitans Boenn.
• Linum usitatissimum subsp. crepitans Elladi
• Linum usitatissimum subsp. humile (Mill.) Chernom.
• Linum usitatissimum var. humile Pers.
• Linum usitatissimum var. indehiscens Neilr.

Common names

• Castilian: white bell, bell, bells, tears of the Virgin, linen, albar linen, armed linen, white linen (13), linen of white and large flowers, linen of mountain, woody linen, sharp wild linen, mantle of the Virgin, diapers of the Virgin, yerba sanjuanera.(The number in parentheses indicates the species that have the same name in Spain)