Linaceae
Fairy flax
Linum catharticum
- Family
- Linaceae
- Genus
- Linum
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Common names
By language (23)
- Arabic
- الكتان المسهل
- Azerbaijani
- İşlədici kətan
- Belarusian
- Лён слабільны
- Czech
- Len luční, Lneček luční, Len počistivý
- Danish
- Vild Hør
- Dutch
- Geelhartje
- English
- Fairy flax, Purging flax, Purging flax, fairy flax
- Estonian
- Aaslina
- Finnish
- Ahopellava
- French
- Lin purgatif
- German
- Purgier-Lein, Purgierlein, Wiesen-Lein
- hsb
- Hórki len
- Macedonian
- Пургативен лен
- Persian
- کتان پری
- Polish
- Len przeczyszczający
- Portuguese
- Linho-purgante, Linun catharticum l.
- Russian
- Лен слабительный, Лён слабительный
- Slovak
- Ľan prečisťujúci
- Slovenian
- Predivec
- Spanish
- Canchelagua, Canchilagua, Cantilagua, Lino, Lino catártico, Lino purgante
- Swedish
- Vildlin
- Ukrainian
- Льон проносний
- Welsh
- Llin y tylwyth teg
Synonyms
- Cathartolinum catharticum (L.) Small
- Cathartolinum pratense Rchb.
- Nezera cathartica (L.) Nieuwl.
Flowers
- In flower
- May to July (from 511 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
FlowerPhoto: Pablo, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Tom Scavo, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Patrick Hacker, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Matteo Martini, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FruitPhoto: Tom Scavo, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist ![Fairy flax: Linum catharticum Source : [1]](/plants/linum-catharticum/photos/17d5357ebfcc2433-s.webp)
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Aroche assumed, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Yves Bas, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Olivier Pichard, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Olivier Pichard, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: AfroBrazilian, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Benjamin Zwittnig, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Robert H. Wardell, CC0, from iNaturalist
![Fairy flax: Linum catharticum Source : [1]](/plants/linum-catharticum/photos/17d5357ebfcc2433-l.webp)
More in Linum
- FlaxLinum usitatissimumLinaceae
- Linum flavumLinaceae
- Blue flaxLinum perenneLinaceae
- FlaxLinum narbonenseLinaceae
- Asian flaxLinum austriacumLinaceae
- Flowering flaxLinum grandiflorumLinaceae
- Pale flaxLinum bienneLinaceae
- Linum tenuifoliumLinaceae
- Lewis flaxLinum lewisiiLinaceae
- Linum suffruticosumLinaceae
- Linum hirsutumLinaceae
- Linum pubescensLinaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.