Flax

Where Found

Flax, also known as linseed, common flax, or Linum usitatissimum in Latin, is native to the region stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to India. Flax was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent and was cultivated extensively in ancient Egypt.

Primary Uses

Common flax is grown for both its versatile fibers and its nutritionally rich seeds. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens. Various parts of the plant have been used to produce a variety of products, including dye, fabric, paper, linen, ropes, fish nets, medicines, and health foods. Flax seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to possess anticancer properties, to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and to lessen the severity of diabetes.

Technical Definition

Flax is a member of the genus Linum, in the Linaceae family. It is an erect annual with slender stems and lanceolate leaves. The plant can grow up to 1.2 meters tall, with leaves 2-4 centimeters long and 0.3 centimeters wide. The flower color varies, ranging from bright red to purple or pale blue, each with five petals 1.5–2.5 centimeters in diameter. When mature, each plant produces round, dry capsules of 0.5-0.9 centimeters in diameter, each containing several seeds. The glossy flax seeds, either brown or golden yellow in color, contain high levels of lignans and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are believed to have health benefits. Flax stems are wrapped around by bast fibers of high cellulosic content.

Description, Distribution, and Forms

In ancient times, some flax plants were cultivated for both their fiber and their nutrient-rich seeds. Modern-day flax cultivars have diverged into two separate lines, one for high seed yield and another for superior fibers. The plants for seed production are more branched. Seed flax is an erect annual that grows up to 91 centimeters tall and has a distinct main stem and several branches at the top that produce flowers. The branched taproot system may penetrate a depth of about 1 meter in the soil. A flax flower has five petals, producing a fruit of a five-chamber capsule. Each capsule contains an average of six to eight seeds. The capsules may split open or remain tightly closed at maturity, depending upon genetic variations. Cultivars with tight capsules resist seed shattering better than those with split capsules and thus are less likely to suffer damage from bad weather.

Flax is mostly a self-pollinated crop with occasional cross-pollination by some insect species. The extent of cross-pollination varies with cultivars and environmental conditions. Flax flowers typically open soon after sunrise on clear days, and their petals fall within five to six hours after opening. Flower color may vary from white to pink, blue, or different shades of purple. However, most modern-day cultivars bear blue petals. Seed colors also vary from various shades of yellow, brown, greenish-yellow, and greenish-brown to nearly black.

Flax is well adapted to fertile, fine-textured clay soil at near neutral pH levels (6.0–6.5) and with a considerable amount of organic matter. Sandy, coarse-textured peat or muck soils are not ideal for flax cultivation. Adequate moisture and cooler temperatures, especially during the reproductive phase (from flowering to seed maturity), are beneficial for high oil content and superior oil quality. The seed coat of flax can easily be damaged in harvest or during handling. Even slight, often invisible damage will make seeds susceptible to decay because of their high oil and protein content. For this reason, seeds with no damage should be carefully selected for planting. In addition, treating seeds with fungicides before planting is critical to ensure a high germination rate. A well-prepared seedbed similar to those for seeding lawn grasses is also important for obtaining good seedling stands.

The plants from which fibers are extracted are tall annuals with few branches. Since ancient times, flax fibers have been used to make many products. Ropes, cords, tents, sails, fishing nets, and carpets can be traced back at least three thousand years. Flax fibers are extracted from the stem and are called bast fibers. Bast fibers from flax are naturally smooth and straight, containing small, regular lumens and regular diameters with a clockwise twist. Flax fibers are two to three times stronger than cotton fibers. Linen, the textile made from flax, has long been prized for its durability.

History

Flax is regarded as one of the first crops domesticated by humans. Its proposed Mediterranean origin was supported by uncovered remains of a flax species in ancient settlements occupied by the Swiss Lake Dwellers about ten thousand years ago. Archaeological evidence showed the use of flax for both fiber and seeds by people of the Stone Age. Egyptian mummies in ancient tombs dated to more than five thousand years ago were wrapped in linen cloth made from flax fiber. In the 1990s, excavations in eastern Turkey found impressions of a linen fiber carbon-dated to nine thousand years ago. In addition, carvings in Egyptian tombs recorded flax cultivation along with the cultivation of figs, olives, and wheat. The ancient Greeks also used linen, while the Romans are considered responsible for spreading the cultivation of flax across Europe.

In the United States, the early colonists began to cultivate flax on a small scale, primarily for home uses. The commercial production of flax did not begin until 1753. With the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793, flax cultivation began to decline and was nearly driven to extinction by the 1940s. In the latter part of the twentieth century in North America, flax regained some momentum as an alternative crop for health food. Flax production for oil-rich seeds occurs primarily in Canada, China, India, the United States, and Ethiopia. Flax cultivation for commercial textiles is primarily focused in Europe (including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Russia, and Belarus), Egypt, and China.

Obtaining Flax

After flax is planted, the initial growth of the crop is somewhat slow, with seedlings reaching 10-15 centimeters in six weeks. Thereafter, however, the growth rate accelerates to several centimeters a day. The time span from planting to harvest is about seventy to one hundred days, depending upon the climate. At maturation, plants are cut with mowing equipment. Fruit capsules are separated from the stalk, and seeds are released by gentle threshing. Oil is pressed from flaxseeds and further extracted using a petroleum solvent.

Strands of fiber are attached longitudinally to the stem, between the epidermis and the central woody core. The flax fiber, with a very high cellulose concentration, is extracted by retting and scutching. Retting begins with submerging the flax stems in water and ends with rotting away the inner stalk, leaving the outer fibers intact. Following retting, the stalk is sun- or wind-dried and then broken into short bits, leaving the fiber unharmed. The scutching scrapes the straw away from the fiber and combs non-fiber residue out of the fiber.

Uses of Flax

Flaxseed (linseed) is produced primarily for the value of its oil. Linseed oil is one of the oldest commercial oils used by humans. Flax has been cultivated as a commercial oilseed crop in the United States and Canada since the 1800s. In general, however, solvent-processed oil from brown flax has been used for many centuries in paints and varnishes, although it has not been usable for food or feed. The linseed meal, a by-product after oil extraction, however, is often used in animal feed and organic fertilizers. Pressed oil is also edible and has been marketed as a dietary supplement.

Use of flaxseed as a food has increased in recent years because of its beneficial health effects from three major components: a high omega-3 fatty acid content, high dietary fiber, and the highest lignan content of all plants. Although color variations can range from golden yellow to brown, seeds have similar nutritional values and equal amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acid, similar to that which is found in fish like salmon, acts to lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, improve cardiovascular health, and promote skin health. The high fiber content also helps lower cholesterol and may reduce risk of colon and stomach cancers. Lignan acts as both a phytoestrogen and an antioxidant, thought to reduce the risk of various cancers. In addition, a very low amount of carbohydrates makes flaxseed ideal for diabetes and weight loss and maintenance. These potential health benefits resulted in a steady increase in consumption of whole seeds, ground seeds, and linseed oil in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Flax stem fiber is soft, lustrous, and flexible; it is stronger than cotton fiber but less elastic. The top quality flax fibers are used for linen fabrics. Lower grades are used for the manufacturing of twine and ropes. Other products made from flax fibers include cigarette paper, paper for banknotes, reinforcing materials in plastics, erosion control mats, and interior panels and mats in automobiles. A growing demand for natural fibers, particularly in Europe, contributed to a resurgence in flax fiber production in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Fibers extracted from flax, hemp, and jute are blended with synthetic fibers to make automotive headliners and other interior components. A composite material composed of flax fiber and polypropylene combines excellent strength and durability with moisture resistance, which is suitable for use in carpet backings, filters, insulation, geotextiles for erosion control, and upholstery padding.

Bibliography

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