flax

Any of a group of plants including the cultivated L. usitatissimum; linen is produced from the fibre in its stems. The seeds yield linseed oil, used in paints and varnishes. The plant, of almost worldwide distribution, has a stem up to 60 cm/24 in high, small leaves, and bright blue flowers. (Genus Linum, family Linaceae.)

After extracting the oil, what is left of the seeds is fed to cattle. The stems are retted (soaked) in water after harvesting, and then dried, rolled, and scutched (pounded), separating the fibre from the central core of woody tissue. The long fibres are spun into linen thread, twice as strong as cotton, yet more delicate, and suitable for lace; shorter fibres are used to make string or paper.

Annual world production of flax fibre amounts to approximately 60,000 tonnes, with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Latvia accounting for half of the total. Other producers are Belgium, the Netherlands, and Northern Ireland.