Description

Lavender officinalis is a perennial evergreen semi-shrub, reaching a height of 60-90 cm. The lower lignified branches are strongly branched, with numerous young herbaceous shoots. The root is perennial, woody, branched. The flower-bearing shoots are tetrahedral, goose-leaved from below, ending in an erect inflorescence. Leaves opposite, sessile, linear or linear-lanceolate, 2.5-6 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, whole-edged, pubescent, with the edges wrapped down. Young leaves are gray, older ones are green. Flowers are bisexual, sit in the axils of bracts of 3-5 pieces, with opposite whorls collected at the ends of branches in spike-shaped inflorescences with the presence of a bluish-purple, dark blue, light blue corolla. The fruit consists of 4 small oblong single-seeded brown nuts.

Blooms from June to August. Seeds ripen in August-September. Lavender of Mediterranean origin. In the wild state it is found on the southern slopes of the mountains of Spain, southern France, on the southern slopes of the Italian Alps, on the Islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Algeria and Greece. Lavender is cultivated in France, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania.

Application

Lavender inflorescences are used, cut off one to one and a half weeks after the beginning of flowering, from which essential oil is obtained. Its content in fresh inflorescences is 1.2-2.3%. The main components of the essential oil are linalool and its esters with various acids, coumarins, furfural, bisabolene, zedrin, herniarin, ursolic and acetic acids, as well as geraniol, borneol. Less essential oil is found in the leaves and stems.

According to the literature, Dutch scientists have discovered an additional 23 new components. Lavender has a sharp specific pleasant smell, fresh and dried flowers have a pungent spicy-bitter taste.

Lavender oil has antiseptic properties and is widely used in the treatment of burns, skin diseases, non-malignant ulcers, cuts, as well as to improve the smell of other medicines. Lavender flowers are used as a mild sedative and antispasmodic for migraines, neurasthenia, palpitations, as well as a choleretic and gastrointestinal colic.

Method of application

1. 3 teaspoons of flowers to 2 cups of boiling water; infuse for 20 minutes, strain. Take 1/2 cup 4 times a day for migraines, neurasthenia, palpitations, and kidney and bladder diseases.

2. 1 tablespoon of flowers to 1 cup of boiling water; infuse for 10-20 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for gastrointestinal colic, digestive disorders, diseases of the bladder and kidneys. Externally, this infusion can be used for compresses, lotions, poultices.

3. Lavender oil: for 1 part of crushed flowers, take 5 parts of Provencal or sunflower oil, infuse for 1-2 months in a well-closed vessel in a dark place. Use for all these diseases as an analgesic.

4. Lavender oil mixed with alcohol is used for rubbing for neuralgia, gout, and rheumatism.