The History of Linium

Hey dear community, I hope you are all doing well and you had a day that brought some interesting experiences into your life as well as a great weekend! Today I would like to discuss nature and hope you are able to expand your knowledge.

You can see here pictures of an old plant which is also known under the name flax or scientifically linium and it is assumed that the origin could be Africa as well as some parts of Asia, but the exact origin is difficult to say and there are also views that it could come from India. It was already used by ancient cultures and particularly appreciated was the property that it could be used to produce fibers from which clothing or other textiles were made and in ancient Greece it was also used to produce armor from it and was generally very popular there and was used for ritual purposes. It is probably one of the oldest crops of antiquity and was also appreciated for the property that an oil could be obtained from it, which has been used for a variety of purposes and the contained seeds are mainly used for extraction, which are also a good basis for cosmetics or colors and it is even possible to make paper from the plant. Also in the mythology of different cultures, you can find flax and was often considered a divine plant and the fibers of the plant were also used in Greek mythology by the Moirai who are also known as goddesses of fate and with the fibers, they decided on the fate of humans and with a long fiber of Linium, the hero Theseus found its way out from the labyrinth after he had defeated Minotaur. Legends about it can also be found in other cultures and was often provided as a gift for the gods and deposited at places of worship and it was also considered an important medicinal plant in antiquity which has been used for a variety of purposes and still is and as always I want to mention here that in case of illness, you should always ask your doctor or pharmacist about the correct use and possible side effects! In the Middle Ages, large areas were cultivated with it and can also be classified as extremely easy to care for, which is also very useful from an ecological point of view and the flowers attract different types of insects and Linium is perfect for anyone looking for something ecologically valuable with a long history.

Many thanks for stopping and I hope you could learn something new about nature! I captured these pictures with my Camera Sony Alpha 6000 plus 55-210 mm lens.