Botanical Source.—Lavandula vera, of De Candolle, is a small shrub, generally 1 or 2 feet high, but sometimes growing to even 6 feet. The leaves are oblong-linear or lanceolate, entire, opposite, sessile, and, when young, hoary and revolute at the edges. The flowers are of a lilac color, small, in terminal, cylindrical spikes, formed of interrupted whorls of 6 to 10 flowers, each whorl with 2 minute bracts. The corolla is tubular, 2-lipped, upper lip large and 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed. The floral leaves are rhomboid-ovate, acuminate, membraneous, all fertile, the uppermost shorter than the calyx. Stamens 4, declinate; anthers reniform, 1-celled; style slender; stigma bilobate (L.).
History and Chemical Composition.—Lavandula vera inhabits southern Europe and north Africa, growing in dry, sterile soils in mountainous and other sunny elevations. It is largely cultivated in the United States, flowering in July and August. It is subject to a disease, which can only be avoided by not allowing the plants to grow too closely together. The whole plant is aromatic. The flowers are the parts used; they are gathered shortly after their appearance, or before fully expanded, usually in June and July, and carefully dried. They have a rich, peculiar fragrance, which is retained long after drying, and a strong, bitter, aromatic, somewhat camphoraceous taste. Their properties are yielded to alcohol or ether. They contain volatile oil (see Oleum Lavandulæ), resinous matter, tannic acid, a bitter principle, and woody fiber. The recent flowers yield from about 1.2 to 1.6 per cent of the volatile oil.
Action and Medical Uses.—Lavender is a tonic, stimulant, and carminative. It is seldom given in the crude state, but in its official preparations, which see. Colic is said to be occasioned by the infusion if immoderately used. Lavender fomentations are occasionally employed in painful local affections. The infusion is prepared with 1 drachm of the flowers and 1 pint of water. Prof. Scudder considered lavender the child's stimulant, preferring the tincture of the oil (℥ii) to alcohol (Oj).