Flax belongs with barley and wheat to the oldest cultivated plants. L.angustifolium, the narrow-leafed perennial wild type with bursting capsules, which came to the mediterranean from South West Asia, is viewed as the ancestral form. Examples of these different varieties already occur in the oldest cultures. Varieties with long, thick unbranched stems and high fibre content are desirable qualities for fibre production. Other factors to be taken into account, according to the particular industrial requirements, are the seed size, oil content and composition.
New varieties strive for an optimal combination of both types of use.