Today, flax is used to make a new range of products, including high-quality paper. don't have an online Habitat: Flax is thought to have originated in Egypt and was found from the Mediterranean to India. The bold foliage contrasts well with softer-looking plants. The striking lance-shaped leaves can come in several bold colors. Landscape Uses . The impact of this crisis has no doubt affected every aspect of our daily lives. How to make rope from plants – fiber extraction and natural cordage construction. Visit Altered Dimensions for the best esoteric and paranormal stories and news. Flax seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, and there’s growing interest in flaxseed protein and its health benefits. For 10,000 years, people have woven flax into linen fabric for clothing. The flax plant fruit is a round, dry capsule about ¼ to ¾-inch in diameter and composed of five lobes. “In Ethiopia, flaxseed is eaten almost daily,” Beyenne says. Flax flowers are great! Leaves are wider in the middle and shaped like a lance tip and grow alternating on the stalk. Flax seed oil, known as flaxseed oil or linseed oil, can be derived from flax by pressing the seeds. Use New Zealand flax in place of Dracaena or spiky vinca in containers and in place of ornamental grasses in garden beds. “In my country, powdered flaxseed is added to hot water and honey,” says Yewoubdar Beyenne, a medical anthropologist from Ethiopia. There is still scope to exploit the medicinal and nutritional properties of the plant. Flax was a valuable resource to Europeans during the nineteenth century because of its strength. People can add it to their diet for health reasons, and it plays a role in Ayurvedic medicine. Flax plant – the many uses of the flax plant in the wild. Several other species in the genus Linum are similar in appearance to L. usitatissimum, cultivated flax, including some that have similar blue flowers, and others with white, yellow, or red flowers. It can also be applied to metal tools to help prevent rust (it readily absorbs oxygen when exposed to air). The colours of the flowers and the seed tell a lot about the variety. The Flax Council of Canada is a national organization which promotes Canadian flax and flax products for nutritional and industrial uses in domestic and international markets. Flaxseed oil can also be found for sale. of fibres; C, Jute fibres. Diarrhea is a digestive disorder that is very harmful for … Flax plants grow very fast reaching full height in less than 3 months. From medicine and food to fine linen papers and durable floor coverings, flax has been an essential part of our lives. Flax oil is useful as a wood finishing-product providing a sheen and protection for wood surfaces. Glossy seeds are contained in the capsules of its round, dry fruit. From there on, it needs only 86 days to reach a height of approximately 1 meter (3.28 ft.). Harakeke, Flax The leaf margins vary in colour. . The Latin name for flax is Linus usitatissimum, meaning ‘very useful,’ and this name alone gives some indication of the plant’s extreme versatility. When bundled, it looks like blonde hair (thus the phrase, “flaxen hair”). For instance, the twisted, woody rhizomes roasted on hot stones, then macerated, became an effective poultice for abscesses and ulcers. Murdoch Riley, author of Maori Healing and Herbal, devotes 10 pages to the medicinal uses of flax leaves, gum, rhizomes and stalks. Product information "Flax Wallpaper embroidered “leaves”" The “leaves” design is embroidered in a trendy shade of green and creates a special atmosphere in your living room. Flax grows natively in cooler regions. Uses: Flax is used as a filtering medium for some preparations. In contrast to the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans preferred woolen fabrics. It was believed that no evil witchcraft could be practiced in a flax field, only good magic. Ancient Egyptians grew flax along the Nile and wove linen fabrics for clothing, bed sheets, diapers, sails, even wrappings for mummies. These pretty flax plants are native to North Africa and southern Europe but are popular in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 10. Paints and varnishes had a linseed-oil base, and linseed oil was a common finish for furniture and other woodwork. Flax Seeds Are High in Omega-3 Fats. In the seventeenth century, seeds of European flax were brought by ship to Massachusetts and Virginia along with spinning wheels. The nectar from its flowers made a sweet drink. Grandmother took a flaxseed, soaked it in a little water, and placed it under my eyelid. Other Common Names: Linseed, chih-ma, common flax, flax, flax weed, lint bells, toad flax, uma, winterlien. Pruning results in vigorous growth of good quality leaves and helps keep insect pests and diseases at bay. Macroscopical and microscopical characters: The strands of Flax fibres have more tensile strength than cotton. High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids. According to Beyenne, flaxseed contains prostaglandin, a substance believed to ease labor. The wet seed was sticky, so that when it was taken out, the tiny bead came with it.”. Flax is still a desirable natural product, however. The plant thrives in full sun when sown in sharply drained soil. Flax plant seeds are typically harvested when the seed capsules are brown or golden yellow and just beginning to split open. • “Flax and Linen” Spin-Off 16, 2 (Summer 1992), 52–84. The Norse goddess Huldah was known as the Guardian of Flax Fields, no doubt because it was she who taught mortals the arts of spinning and weaving. “Women start drinking this mixture about a week before their due date to cleanse the system and also to make for an easy labor.” Like many folk customs, this one has a basis in fact. In Nature’s Kitchen (Pownal, Vermont: Storey Publishing, 1986), herbalist Fred Rohe observes that flaxseed is an excellent source of nutritional fiber and protein. Captain Cook was impressed by the many uses of flax. The flowers of the plant are great for ornamental use and pale blue in color with yellow centers. Flaxseed can be boiled in water to extract a mucilaginous material. You can see it’s long, green leaves sticking up in gardens, parks, and the bush all over the country. In recent years, we have become more aware of the plant’s many benefits – primarily the nutritional content of the seeds. The roots could be crushed to make poultices for skin infections, and to produce a juice with disinfectant and laxative properties. Oil flax is used for the extraction of linseed oils. If eaten raw, chew them thoroughly. Flax fiber, which is stronger than cotton, is taken from the skin of the stem. The gum from the base of the leaves eased pain and healed wounds, especially burns. Few plants are as useful to humanity as flax. Overall it is a lot smaller than Harakeke, making it useful where a smaller flax is desired. The flowers on Wharariki are more drooping and often a bright yellow-green colour. Flax Seeds are used for Money, Protection, Beauty, Psychic Powers, Healing. • Flax and Linen by Patricia Baines (Shires Publications, 1985) Flowers are typically blue but can be white, yellow or pinkish red (there are several species of flax). The blue form is also called woody flax and may be a nuisance weed in the western states. Lower grades are used for products requiring strength and the ability to withstand moisture—such as canvas, twine, fire hose, bagging, industrial sewing thread, and fishnet. The Flax is a graceful little plant with turquoise blue blossoms, a tall, erect annual, 1 to 2 feet high, the stems usually solitary quite smooth, with alternate, linear, sessile leaves, 3/4 to 1 inch long. Flax is an endemic plant of New Zealand that is common throughout the country. The mountain species were more valuable. Fiber flax is still produced in Russia, China, Egypt, and parts of Europe, and there are pilot projects to revive the U.S. fiber flax industry, starting in Maine and in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It is used for linen fabric, rope, and twine. Flax leaves were used in binding broken bones and matted leaves were used as dressings. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Flax begins its profuse blooming in early summer and doesn't finish blooming for about 8 weeks. The gum from the base of the leaves eased pain and healed wounds, especially burns. The seeds can be roasted, powdered, or eaten raw. Rub linseed oil around her house, ” says Alice Correia, a Kentucky... Base of the diet in Europe or the United States, one plant brown. One side, giving the leaves themselves could be crushed to make Indian food recipe is. 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