Austrian flax vs Common Flax

Linum austriacum compared with Linum usitatissimum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Austrian flax	Common Flax
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family same	Linaceae	Linaceae
Genus same	Linum	Linum
Species	Linum austriacum	Linum usitatissimum

Evolutionary Relationship

Austrian flax and Common Flax share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Linum.

Conservation Status

Austrian flax

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Flax

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Austrian flax	Common Flax
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Austrian flax

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (12 countries) and North America (Canada).

Common Flax

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Angola, Morocco, Zimbabwe), Asia (10 countries), Europe (25 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (4 countries).

Austrian flax

The Austrian flax (Linum austriacum) is a species in the genus Linum. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions. Linum austriacum contributes to the biodiversity of its native ecosystems.

Common Flax

<em>Linum usitatissimum</em> is an annual flowering plant in the family Linaceae, order Malpighiales, commonly known as common flax or linseed. This species has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years and is one of the oldest domesticated crops, valued for both its fiber (used to produce linen textiles) and its seeds (source of linseed oil and dietary flaxseed). <em>Linum usitatissimum</em> has an exceptionally broad global distribution through cultivation and naturalization, with presence documented across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America. The plant typically grows as a slender, erect annual reaching approximately 1.2 meters in height, bearing narrow leaves and distinctive pale blue to white five-petaled flowers. It favors well-drained soils in temperate to subtropical climates and is widely grown as a commercial crop. The species thrives in open, sunny habitats. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 10 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom