Lavender

COMMON NAMES: COMMON LAVENDER, SPIKE LAVENDER, GARDEN LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL OBTAINED FROM LAVENDER FLOWERS IS RICH IN MONOTERPENES.

Lavender is a strongly scented, 60-120 cm tall, richly branched, perennial semi-shrub.
The woody stems are densely whitish hairy. The hairs are star-shaped and quadrangular above. Leaves are oblanceolate with an underrolled margin, 2-6 cm long, linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, glandularly punctate on the reverse. The leaves are green, grey-fleshed when young, later becoming glossy. The flower spikes are arranged apically on long-stalked interrupted spikes. The bracts are 3-4 mm long, rhombic to obovate, strongly veined, brownish-purple. Flowers are symmetrical, short-stalked with an oblong, tubular, thirteen-veined, 4.5-7 mm long calyx. The ears are unequal, the upper one with an obscure hairy, densely curly purple appendage. The bicuspid corolla with a two- to three-toothed upper lip is 8-12 mm long, symmetrical, blue to purple. There are 4 stamens in flower, two much shorter (bipinnate), attached to the corolla by threads. Seedpod is uppermost and 4-parted. The stigmas are glossy brown. Flowering time is mainly in June, July to August.

The active ingredients are linalool, linalacetate and Terminal-4 ol.

Usage:

It has anti-inflammatory effects.
The infusion of the lavender flower is added to the bath - already in ancient Rome it was added to the bath (Latin lavare means to wash, to wash). Lavender is also put in between clothes in the wardrobe, which smells nice and repels moths at the same time. It is used in the cosmetic industry (fragrance oils, perfumes). It is also used in the kitchen, especially in France, Spain and Italy, and is one of the components of Provençal spices.

The lavender flower is added to herbal mixtures used for headaches, insomnia, nervousness and dizziness for its calming effects. It slightly lowers blood pressure. Massages with lavender oil help with rheumatic pains and have a stimulating effect.