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Flax family
Linaceae
アマ科
A family with flax (Linum usitatissimum) as its representative species. Long utilized by humans as a fiber and oil crop. About 22 genera and 300 species are widely distributed from temperate to tropical regions; Linum stelleroides is native to Japan.
Key Characteristics
- ●Leaves are simple, alternate or opposite, often small and linear
- ●Flowers are pentamerous, actinomorphic, with blue, white, or yellow petals
- ●Fruit is a capsule with 10 seeds
- ●Stem fibers are well-developed (source of linen fiber)
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Shrub / Tree / Vine / Herb
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Stipules
Present / Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Petal count
Many
Petal fusion
Fused
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
5
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Malpighiales > Linaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (about 60–50 million years ago)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Development of fibrous stems
- ・Acquisition of seed oil rich in linseed oil (alpha-linolenic acid)
Plants in Flax family on this site
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