Wild Treasure
by Connie Handscomb
Title
Wild Treasure
Artist
Connie Handscomb
Medium
Photograph - Photography - Fine Art
Description
When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
~ Lao Tzu
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Wild blue flax (Prairie Flax)
Linum augustofolia; Linum perenne ; Linum usitatissimum; Linum lewisii
This delicate sky-blue wildflower on its slender stalk Linum usitatissimum can be found in the wild in the meadows early summer through to autumn blooming on waste ground, delicate blue flowers on slender stalks. It is at home in Alaska and Canada, down to Texas and northern Mexico.
This is one of the oldest crops known to mankind: it has been cultivated for approximately 7,000 years (7,000 years!). One form provides seed and seed oil; another produces stem fibre.
The seeds are called linseeds, and have had several uses since ancient times - believed to be a gift from the gods,they have been found in Egyptian tombs and linen was woven from them.
Nutritionally, they contain approx. 30-40% oil, and 25% protein.
Medicinally, it was used for inflammations and tumours, and for a variety of lung ailments (coughs, pleurisy, pneumonia, asthma,bronchitis). It is soothing to colic and bowel diseases,urinary tract inflammations, and burns and scalds. Linseed oil can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, help with atherosclerosis, and ease gastritis; it is a source of essential fatty acids which help prevent the buildup of fatty deposits in tissues. It can ease arthritic pain, and treat eczema. Poultices are made to heal burns and boils. Medieval gardens used to grow it to treat rheumatism.
In the home, linseed oil is used to shine furniture; it is also in paints, varnishes and linoleum.
The indigenous tribes used it for making rope, and folklore states it helped one to weave wonderful stories.
Sources:
Culpeper's Color Herbal [D.Potterton]
Field Guide To Wildflowers, Western Region [Nat.Audubon Society]
Magical Plants:Complete Illus.History [S.Gregg]
Wildflowers Across The Prairies [Vance;Jowsey;McLean]
Wildflowers [R.Imes]
Country Wisdom [R.Rosamund]
The Herbalist [Meyer]
The Oxford Book Of Health Foods [Vaughan;Judd]
The Complete Medicinal Herbal [P.Ody]
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Captured outdoors on a sunny spring afternoon ...uncropped; unedited; nature in all its splendour.
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♥ Heartfelt Gratitude to FAA groups for featuring this image :
Wild Flowers
Fine Arts Professionals
All Natural Beauty Of This World
10 Plus
Contest : Roses Are RED - Violets Are BLUE (photography; 2017) - 2nd Place Win {thankyou all!}
Uploaded
June 21st, 2016
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Viewed 759 Times - Last Visitor from Beverly Hills, CA on 03/29/2024 at 12:47 AM
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Comments (52)
Connie Handscomb
Beth, thank you! for featuring this image in All Natural Beauty of this World {posted while I was away over the summertime; thank you!} :))
Maggie Terlecki
Dearest Connie, I've been remiss since quite a while and behind on my commenting. What a joy to see your work again. I shall have to come back to look at more but these wild treasures of Linseed as so beautiful. What a wonderful eye you have! :-) Maggie