Linseed (Linium ustitatissimum L.) belongs to the plant family Linaceae. Linseed is called also throughout Pakistan. It is an annual rabi plant grmyn for its seed and fibre. The stem is thin and rounded, and about 50-100 cin tall. Linseed has a tap root system which does not penetrate deep into the; soil, but rather is concentrated in the upper soil layer. The flowers may be. I white, blue, or dark-red. Usually linseed is self-pollinated, but a considerable’ rate of cross-pollination is found in certain cultivars.
The fruit is a capsules containing about 10 shiny, flat seeds of different colours. Flowering iinitiated 60 days after sowing. Linseed is a long-day plant, but day-neutral cultivars also have been evolved. The seed contains 20-25% protein and 30-40% oil, which has been increased to 45% in some cultivars. Origin and history.
The probable centre of origin is the Mediterranean region, where Linium angustifolium grows wild and crosses readily with cultivated linseed. It is one of the plants earliest domesticated for the extrac- tion of fibre in the ancient countries of the Mediterranean region.
