Growing Grasses

Neither is a grass. Psyllium is Plantago psyllium, related to the common plantain of lawns. Flax is generally Linum usitatissimum, source of linseed oil and linen fabric.

Plantago psyllium in the eastern US tends to grow along railroad tracks, which suggest that it's one that needs a lot of sunlight, and well drained soil. Doesn't seem to have been collected S of N. Carolina, either.

Flax is another dry, open place plant. Though it's amenable to warm conditions it likes full sun.

I doubt either species is going to like the conditions you offer.

Kay

Perhaps they could use them as border plants?

Are they or are they not monocotyledons? In my botany class, monocots were called grasses.

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

Thanks for respondng. Apparently they grow best in clumps and not in rows. I am looking at a different part of my yard now, a part the that is in the domain of the ornamental flower grower in the family. Flax has cute little blue flowers right? And psyllium has . . . ? . .oh lord. Wish me luck.

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

The message from Omelet contains these words:

It's also an annual. ie, for 6 months of the year the ground will be bare. It's not a grass.

New Zealand Flax, aka phormium, NOT the blue-flowered source of linsed oil, is a large perennial with spiky leaves..But it's not a grass; iirc it's a member of the lily family.

Janet.

Thanks for your learned erudition. Don't get too excited over my mistake. I'm sure it won't be my last. I suppose you could check my spelling and punctuation. How did Freud describe that again?

Now, to the thrust of the posting, do you know how to grow the damn things, flax or psyllium?

I await your enlightened response.

- Bill

Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

were called grasses.

Both are dicots, and you should ask for your money back on the botany class. Grasses are one family of monocots, as are palms, lilies, orchids, sedges, rushes, etc. The group of monocots encompasses many families -- grasses (Gramineae or Poaceae) are just one family in the group of monocots, aka Liliopsida.

Linum is in the Linaceae; Plantago in the Plantaginaceae. Don't get fooled by narrow leaves and venation patterns when you're trying to figure out monocot vs. dicot -- it's one of the least trustworthy characters.

Kay

The message

from William Rose contains these words:

It wasn't. Just basics, trying to help you define which flax plant you're hoping to grow.

Small-penis male inferiority complex.

Yes, I do.

Insolent waiters don't get any tips.

Janet

Yes, wonderful. I as playing with the subject heading. I just want to know if anyone has the vaguest idea of how to grow these plants and what requirements they have. Excuse me for being lazy and asking a gardening question when it is manifestly obvious that I will have to look it up myself. Your answer is completely correct and totally useless. You don't work for MicroSoft do you?

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

I'm sure you get that reaction a lot.

The problem seems to lie in that dormant organ under your coif. The question was, "How does one grow flax and psyllium". That's not too difficult to understand, now is it? Hmmmm?

God, I hope there aren't anymore at the kennel like you.

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

William Rose expounded:

Bill, sarcastic replies garner even more sarcasm, as this thread shows.

Google is your friend. Growing flax:

And so are you. Honestly, I have been Googling and have come up with meager results. Perhaps I over reacted. Perhaps I was disappointed that when I asked for help others took it as an occasion to cap on me. Be that as it may be,

thank you very much my friend.

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

No. And had you bothered to read my complete, initial post, you would have found that I stated both grow in open (i.e., sunny) spots; typically in the US, they are naturalized along railroad tracks.

No. You might, though, as you seem to have problems reading an entire post. To quote from my original post:

Plantago psyllium in the eastern US tends to grow along railroad tracks, which suggest that it's one that needs a lot of sunlight, and well drained soil. Doesn't seem to have been collected S of N. Carolina, either.

Flax is another dry, open place plant. Though it's amenable to warm conditions it likes full sun.

I doubt either species is going to like the conditions you offer.

Kay

Been down so long, it looks like up to me.

Thanks for the follow up. A facultative - obligatory question though. Just because a plant grows in full sunlight, does that mean that it can't grow in partial shade? I realize that this represents a spectrum of possibilities but I think you get my meaning. If I'm just being dense again, please point it out. I'm on a slope and, I've just added sand to the garden to help with drainage. I do live in a rain forest but the summers are bone dry in California. As I see it, if I can run a railway track through my garden I still have a shot at it:-)

Thanks again,

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

Richard and Mamie Farania (SP).

"Been down so long it's beginning to look like up."

Damn motorcycle accidents.

Bill a bit anal for the fun of it.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. William, you trying to copy my style boy?

Richard and Mimi Fariña.

Richard Fariña is perhaps best known for his novel "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me".

Problem with motorcycles is that a simi truck can stop faster than you can. Fun though.

At least Richard went out a success and it wasn't his bike.

I don't remember the 60's either.

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

Style means no substance.

Just purchased 30 songs. Never read him. Shady Grove.......

I do and reside here.

Most plants that prefer full sun can grow in partial sun, but they'll be depauperate, bloom and fruit poorly. They're just not getting enough sunlight to photosynthesize enough for their needs. How much is "enough to grow on" really has to be determined experimentally. Nevertheless, I've never seen flax growing in an area with only three hours of full sun.

That might help... by the time you get the railbed in, you may have opened up enough room for the sun to penetrate more of the day.

With "rainforest, California, zone 9", I suspect you're on the N California coast. Linum usitatissimum has been recorded as naturalized there, so that one is probably quite possible with enough light and soil and water it likes. Plantago psyllium is not recorded in California, though the similar P. indica has been found on the south coast. General rule with weedy plants, imho, is that if they've carried around by humans for awhile as "useful", they'll probably have naturalized if they truly like an area.

Or as my old major prof used to say, "Seed's cheap. Try it. The worst you can be is disappointed". But if you've got a position with better sunlight, you've got a better chance.

Kay

Kay