Flax pancakes

On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, Linum usitatissimum, in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a flax pancakes and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. This section needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Several other species in the genus Linum are similar in appearance to L. Some of these are perennial plants, unlike L. Cultivated flax plants grow to 1. 25 mm in diameter with five petals, which can be colored white, blue, yellow, and red depending on the species. Use of the crop steadily spread, reaching as far as Switzerland and Germany by 5,000 years ago. In China and India, domesticated flax was cultivated at least 5,000 years ago.

Flax was cultivated extensively in ancient Egypt, where the temple walls had paintings of flowering flax, and mummies were embalmed using linen. Egyptian priests wore only linen, as flax was considered a symbol of purity. Flax is grown for its seeds, which can be ground into a meal or turned into linseed oil, a product used as a nutritional supplement and as an ingredient in many wood-finishing products. Flax fibers taken from the stem of the plant are two to three times as strong as cotton fibers. Additionally, flax fibers are naturally smooth and straight. Europe and North America both depended on flax for plant-based cloth until the 19th century, when cotton overtook flax as the most common plant for making rag-based paper.