Linum

Taxobox
name = "Linum"

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Linum pubescens"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Malpighiales
familia = Linaceae
genus = "Linum"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =

"Linum" (flax) is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Linaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Among many other species, it includes the Common Flax ("L. usitatissimum"), the bast fibre of which is used to produce linen and the seeds to produce linseed oil.

The flowers are light blue or white (yellow in some species) and there is an average of 6-10 seeds per boll.

"Linum" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Cabbage Moth, The Nutmeg, Setaceous Hebrew Character and "Coleophora benedictella", which feeds exclusively on "Linum narbonense".

;Selected species
*"Linum austriacum"
*"Linum bienne" (syn. "L. angustifolium")– Pale Flax
*"Linum catharticum" – Fairy Flax
*"Linum cratericola"
*"Linum flavum" – Yellow Flax
*"Linum leoni"
*"Linum lewisii"
*"Linum perenne" – Perennial Flax
*"Linum pubescens"
*"Linum suffruticosum"
*"Linum tenuifolium"
*"Linum usitatissimum" – Common Flax

External links

* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4965,4980 Jepson Manual treatment of the genus]
* [http://www.ipni.org/ipni/plantsearch?find_wholeName=&find_family=&find_infrafamily=&find_genus=linum&find_infragenus=&find_isAPNIRecord=on&find_species=&find_infraspecies=&find_isGCIRecord=on&find_authorAbbrev=&find_publicationTitle=&find_isIKRecord=on&find_rankToReturn=all&output_format=normal&find_includePublicationAuthors=on&find_includePublicationAuthors=off&find_includeBasionymAuthors=on&find_includeBasionymAuthors=off&find_sortByFamily=on&find_sortByFamily=off&query_type=by_query&back_page=query_ipni.html IPNI Query]
* [http://www.herbier.ulaval.ca/specimens_types/template.php?pid=0028026 "Linum lepagei" type sheet] from Louis-Marie Herbarium (Laval University).
* [http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/english/index.php The Flax Council of Canada]