
Linum usitatissimum
Linum usitatissimum
Safety & Hazards
The seed of some strains contain cyanogenic glycosides in the seed though the toxicity is low, especially if the seed is eaten slowly. It becomes more toxic if water is drunk at the same time[ 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. , 222 Title A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Publication Author Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Co. Year 1990 ISBN 0395467225 Description A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties. ]. The cyanogenic glycosides are also present in other parts of the plant and have caused poisoning to livestock[ 240 Title Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Publication Author Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Publisher Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. Year 1986 ISBN - Description Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader. ].
Botanical Description
Linum usitatissimum is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.70 metres tall. It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.