Difference Between Ramie and Flax

1. Leaf Difference

Ramie leaves are alternate, herbaceous, round-ovate or broad-ovate, rarely oval, about 6 to 15 cm long and 4 to 11 cm wide. The apex of the leaves is sharply pointed, the base is nearly truncated or broadly cuneate, and the edges have teeth above the base. The upper side of the leaves is slightly rough, with sparse short hairs, and the underside of the leaves is covered with dense snow-white felt hairs.

The leaves of flax are alternate, linear, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, 2 to 4 cm long, 1 to 5 mm wide, with a sharp tip and a gradually narrow base. There is no petiole and the leaves are rolled inward.

2. Flower Differences

Ramie has axillary panicles, about 2 to 9 cm long, and male flowers have four tepals that are narrowly elliptical and about 1.5 mm long.

Flax flowers grow solitarily at the top of branches or in the upper leaf axils of branches, forming sparse corymbose inflorescences. The diameter of the flowers is 15 to 20 mm, with 5 petals, which are obovate, blue or purple-blue, and vaguely white or red.