Pale Flax

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Whether touted as an arthritis cure for aging athletes or as an aid for reducing high cholesterol, the stories of the powers of flax as a medicinal plant pervade our culture.

The National Institute of Health reports,

"Flaxseed and its derivative flaxseed oil/linseed oil are rich sources of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, which is a biologic precursor to omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid. Although omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes, evidence from human trials is mixed regarding the efficacy of flaxseed products for coronary artery disease or hyperlipidemia."

However, for any medicinal purpose other than as a laxative, the current state of the scientific literature remains unclear.

Pale flax (Linum bienne) is one of around forty different Linum species found growing in the United States.

White the petal colors for all flax species range in shade of red, pink, purple, blue and white, the Pale Flax derives its common name from the pale blue petals.

It's a naturalized, non-native plant of the West Coast, similar looking to a few other blue petal flax species, including the native Linum lewisii, named for the Western explorer Meriwether Lewis.

The blue anthers on the pale flax serve as a good field identification clue.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels