A Taxonomic View on Genetic Resources in the Genus Linum L. for Flax Breeding

Abstract

Cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) has two very different usage groups with extremely distinct plant types: one for extraction of the long stem fibre and one use for oil extraction of the linseed. However, many plant types of cultivated flax are of intermediate type between these extremes, and these form a third group. A fourth group is a distinct plant type cultivated historically for fibre and seed use that has the primitive feature of spontaneously opening mature capsules and shattering all seeds. Common names exist for these types of cultivated flax, and taxonomists have attempted to introduce scientific names for these four distinct groups. There is also a wild progenitor species of cultivated flax, pale flax (L. bienne Mill.), which can easily be crossed with cultivated flax. Furthermore, there are about 200 other species in the genus Linum native to the Old World and the New World. Plant names, whether scientific or not, should guide us through this diversity. In botanical science, systematics and taxonomy distinguish plant groups and name them for unambiguous communication. However, there is no recent taxonomic review of the genus Linum to provide such a guide. Using the example of flax, the impact of taxonomy for conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources is illustrated.