Description
Flax is a cool temperate annual herb with erect, slender stems, 80-120 cm tall. A cultivated plant in closely spaced field conditions it has little branching except at the apex. Leaves are alternate, lance-like and greyish-green with 3 veins. Flowers have five, pale blue petals in a cluster. The sepals are lance-like and nearly as long as the pointed fruit. The fruit are spherical capsules. The seeds are oval, somewhat flattened, 4-6mm long and are pale to dark brown and shiny. Flax is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India. It was extensively cultivated in ancient Egypt. Flax is grown both for its seed and for its fibres.
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Tamil | Hindi | Malayalam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linum Usitatissimum | Flax Seed | ஆளி விதை | अलसी/ Alasi | ചേര്ച്ചന വിത്ത് / Cheruchanavithu |
