The Linaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family is cosmopolitan, and includes approximately 250 species. There are 14 genera, classified into two subfamilies: Linoideae and Hugonioideae (often recognized as a distinct family, the Hugoniaceae). Leaves of Linaceae are always simple.
In Linoideae, the largest genus is Linum, the flaxes, with 180-200 species including the cultivated flax, or linseed, Linum usitatissimum. Members of Linoideae include herbaceous annuals and perennials as well as woody subshrubs, shrubs, and small trees inhabiting temperate and tropical latitudes of Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
