Medicinal and aromatic plants – industrial profiles

Section 1: 
Lavandula
(
Spica 
Ging.)
Woody shrubs with simple leaves generally linear in shape. Cymes borne in an opposite and
decussate arrangement. Each cyme many-flowered (3–)5–7(–9) with bracteoles present, the
subtending bracts variable in shape with reticulate veining. Calyx tubular with a very short stalk
(pedicellate), with thirteen or eight nerves, the upper middle lobe modified into a circular
appendage. The corolla tube exerted from the calyx, the upper corolla lobes larger than the
lateral lobes. Stigma bilobed. Nutlets bear a small to minute basal scar and produce no mucilage
on wetting.
Contains three species from central and south west Europe. Commercially this is the most
important section containing, 
L. angustifolia
(English lavender) and the hybrid 
L. x intermedia
(lavandin), which are the principal taxa cultivated for the production of essential oils and widely
grown for their horticultural value. Numerous cultivars of 
L. angustifolia
and 
L. x intermedia
have
been and continue to be selected both for oil production and ornamental value. There is no 
complete listing of cultivars but the following references provide useful information: Tucker and
Hensen (1985); Andrews (1994); McNaughton (2000).
One of the greatest confusions in the naming of lavenders has occurred over the application 
of the name 
L. spica
(see Green, 1932). The Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus first used the name

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L. spica
, to included both lavender (
L. angustifolia
) as his 
L. spica
var. 

and spike lavender 
(
L. latifolia
) as his 
L. spica
var. 

. Unfortunately, subsequent authors who recognised these taxa
as distinct species where not consistent in the use of the name and 
L. Spica
has variously been
applied to both 
L. angustifolia
and 
L. latifolia
. With no consistency in the use of this name the
situation became completely confused and hence the use of the name 
L. spica
was abandoned, 
the next available name being 
L. angustifolia
Miller.