Western Blue Flax - Linum lewisii

(click on images for full size)

Edible Uses:
The seeds of western blue flax are edible cooked. They have a pleasant nutty taste and are very nutritious. It should not be eaten raw because it contains cyanide but this is destroyed in the cooking process. Because of its link to good health, flaxseed is fast becoming a new food in many diets. Flaxseed adds a pleasant flavor to many basic foods, but its unique blend of goodness also packs a strong nutritious punch. Flaxseed is rich in dietary fiber and alpha-linolenic acid, an essential omega-3 fat which may protect against heart disease and cancer. Flaxseed also provides a plentiful supply of lignans - cancer blocking components, which animal studies show reduce the formation of tumors. Recent scientific reports point out that flaxseed can have a positive influence on everything from blood cholesterol levels to laxation, from cancer to diseases of the heart, and immune systems such as arthritis and lupus.

Medicinal Uses:
The plant is antirheumatic, and has agents that relieve and remove gas from the digestive system, and contains substances which give strength and tone to the stomach. It is said to be soothing and softening to irritated membranes. The ground seed mixed with boiling water to make a thick mush is used for poultices. A poultice can be used on old sores, boils, inflammations, skin ulcers, wounds, and tumors.
The plant is used for female disorders and colon problems. It promotes strong nails, bones, and teeth and healthy skin. A decoction of the seeds can be used for coughs, catarrh, chronic bronchitis, asthma, pleurisy, fever, dropsy, leprosy, pimples, age spots, burns, scalds, gout, inflammation, cystitis, lung and chest problems, and digestive, gastritis, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and urinary disorders. To eliminate gallstones, a 1 1/2 to 2 table spoon of linseed oil can be taken, after which one lies down on the left side for a half hour. The gallstones will pass into the intestines and be eliminated from there. Eating the seeds intact is useful for chronic constipation. The seeds swell up in the intestines, encouraging elimination by increasing the volume of fecal matter. For emollient uses and for rheumatic complaints, a linseed poultice can be applied. The oil was a folk remedy used for pleurisy and pneumonia. The seed has been used for a very long time as a medicine. 1 teaspoon of the whole seed mixed with water, orange juice, vegetable juice, etc., can be taken to provide a gentle lubricant laxative. Or this mixture can be used as an enema.
To remove foreign bodies from the eye, one can place a grain of whole flaxseed under the lower lid, and then close the lids. The seed becomes surrounded by a thick, adherent mucilage, which entraps the foreign body, and soon carries it out from the angle of the eye. If the particle is not removed easily, a doctor should be consulted. Linseed oil is obtained from the crushed seeds.

Other Uses:
Various native peoples used flax for cordage and string, as well as for mats, snowshoes, fishing nets and baskets. Flax is also grown for the linen fibers which are obtained from the stems. A drying oil is obtained from the seed. It is used mainly for lighting, though it could also be used in all the ways that linseed oil (from Linum usitatissimum) is used - in paints, varnishes etc. An infusion of the whole plant has been used as a hair and skin wash. It is reportedly very beneficial to the skin and also to help prevent hair loss.