Historical and botanical evidence of distribution, cultivation and utilization of Linum usitatissimum L. (flax) in China.

Linum usitatissimum L. (flax) has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years in China. Throughout the history of its cultivation, flax was mainly used for oil and medicine. It was not until the last 100 years that fibre flax began to be cultivated and used. This paper discusses the distribution, cultivation and use of flax in China especially in the past, based on literature reviews and ethnobotanical surveys for its traditional uses. The modern distribution of wild flax species in China is also presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]