Medicinal and aromatic plants – industrial profiles

L. angustifolia
Miller subsp. 
angustifolia
(
L. spica
L. var. 

, 
L. officinalis
Chaix, 
L. fragrans
Jord., 
L. vera
DC)
Shrub to 50 cm with linear-lanceolate leaves grey tomentose when young, becoming greener with
age. Inflorescence stalk usually unbranched 10–25 cm long with a compact spike 4–5(–8) cm,
sometimes with a lower flower cluster distant from the main spike. Bracts broadly ovate-rhombic
to obovate, bracteoles present but minute. Calyx thirteen-nerved, with small circular appendage.
Corolla strongly bilaterally symmetrical, nearly twice the length of calyx with prominent lobes,
shades of blue/mauve, white, rarely violet pink in colour. Flowers from mid-June to July. Native
to SW and South Central Europe (Italy, France and Spain) in mountainous areas usually over
1500 m, but widely cultivated and sometimes naturalised elsewhere. The natural variation in this
species across its range is not fully understood and there are many names in the literature. While
only two subspecies are listed here this reflects that these are the only two whose delimitations
and identification are clearly understood. Further work may identify other infraspecific taxa. This
species produces the best quality oils and is a fine ornamental plant. Its mountain origins make
this the hardiest species in cultivation. Of the many cultivars the following are some of the best
known, for example, ‘Hidcote’ 30 cm very deep violet blue flowers (Figure 2.6), ‘Loddon Blue’
60 cm dark violet blue, ‘Munstead’ 45 cm blue lilac flowers, ‘Rosea’ 45 cm pink flowers, ‘Nana
Alba’ 20 cm dwarf white variant.
L. angustifolia
Miller subsp. 
pyrenaica
(DC) Guinea – a variant from the East Pyrenees and
NE Spain which has larger floral bracts which usually exceed calyx in length, a shorter and
more condensed spike, deep blue/purple flowers and is of smaller stature (25–35 cm).
2.