Flax

Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, Linum usitatissimum, in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates.

thumb|A linen handkerchief with [[drawn thread work around the edges]] thumb|upright|Linen cloth recovered from Qumran Cave 1 near the [[Dead Sea]] thumb|Flax stem, fiber, yarn, and woven and knitted linen textiles

yellowish oil obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant

fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm

thumb|260px|Bertha of Swabia|Queen Bertha instructing girls to spin flax on spindles using distaves, [[Albert Anker, 1888]] thumb|right|250px|A distaff and a spindle A distaff (, , also called a rock) is a tool used in spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold flax and sometimes wool, but can be used for any type of fibre. Fiber is wrapped around the distaff and tied in place with a piece of ribbon or string. The word comes from Low German dis, meaning a bunch of flax, connected with staff.

fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

thumb|upright|A person scutching flax thumb|Threshing, retting and dressing flax at the Roscheider Hof Open Air Museum

Fairy tale by Giambattista Basile (1636)

species of plant

thumb|right|250px|Lincrusta wall covering, Roseland Cottage thumb|right|250px|Detail of Byzantine pattern Lincrusta wall covering Lincrusta is a deeply embossed wallcovering, invented by Frederick Walton. Walton was already known for patenting linoleum floor covering in 1860. Lincrusta was launched in 1877 and was used in a host of applications from royal homes to railway carriages. Many examples over a hundred years old can still be found throughout the world.

color

Sclerolinon is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the flax family (Linaceae) containing the single species Sclerolinon digynum, which is known by the common names northwestern yellowflax and yellow hard flax. It is native to the western United States, where it has been recorded in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and as far south as central California. It grows in seasonally wet habitats, such as mountain meadows and vernal pools.

combing process used to clean and straighten scutched flax or other bast fibers