lavender: Definition and Much More from Answers.com
- ️Sun Sep 09 2007
Description
Lavender is a hardy perennial in the Lamiaciae, or mint, family. The herb is a Mediterranean native. There are many species of lavendula which vary somewhat in appearance and aromatic quality. English lavender, L. augustifolia, also known as true lavender, is commercially valuable in the perfume industry and is a mainstay of English country gardens. French lavender, L.stoechas, is the species most probably used in Roman times as a scenting agent in washing water. The species L. officinalis is the official species used in medicinal preparations, though all lavenders have medicinal properties in varying degrees.
This fragrant, bushy shrub has been widely cultivated for its essential oil. The tiny, tubular, mauve-blue blossoms grow in whorls of six to ten flowers along square, angular stems and form a terminal spike. These flower spikes stretch upward beyond the 12-18 inch (3.6-5.4 m) height of the shrub, blooming from June to August. The blossoms are well liked by bees and a good source of honey. The needle-like, evergreen, downy leaves are a light, silver-gray. They are lanceolate, opposite, and sessile, and grow from a branched stem. The bark is gray and flaky. The herb thrives in full sun and poor soil. Ancient Greeks and Romans used lavender blossoms to scent bath water, a common use that gave the herb its name, derived from the Latin lavare, meaning to wash.
General Use
Lavender is best known and loved for its fragrance. The herb has been used since ancient times in perfumery. As an aromatic plant, lavender lifts the spirits and chases melancholy. Taking just a few whiffs of this sweet-smelling herb is said to dispel dizziness. Traditionally, women in labor clutched sprigs of lavender to bring added courage and strength to the task of childbearing. A decoction of the flower may be used as a feminine douche for leucorrhoea. The dried blossoms, sewn into sachets, may be used to repel moths and to scent clothing, or may be lit like incense to scent a room. Because of its fumigant properties, the herb was hung in the home to repel flies and mosquitoes, and strewn about to sanitize the floors. Lavender essential oil was a component of smelling salts in Victorian times.
The essential oil of certain lavender species has a sedative, antispasmodic, and tranquilizing effect. Lavender has been long valued as a headache remedy. It can be taken in a mild infusion, or can be rubbed on the temples, or sniffed like smelling salts to provide relief from headaches caused by stress. Lavender oil is antiseptic, and has been used as a topical disinfectant for wounds. In high doses, it can kill many common bacteria such as typhoid, diphtheria, streptococcus, and pneumococcus, according to some research. The essential oil has also been used as a folk treatment for the bite of some venomous snakes. When used in hydrotherapy as part of an aromatic, Epsom salt bath, the essential oils of some species will soothe tired nerves and relieve the pain of neuralgia. They are also used topically on burns and have been shown to speed healing. It is also a fine addition to a foot bath for sore feet. Lavender essence makes a pleasant massage oil for kneading sore muscles and joints. Acting internally, lavender's chemical properties increase the flow of bile into the intestines, relieving indigestion. Its carminative properties help expel intestinal gas. Lavender is an adjuvant and may be used in combination with other herbs to make a tonic cordial to strengthen the nervous system.
A 2002 report from Korea showed that aromatherapy massage with lavender oil and tea tree oil on patients undergoing hemodialysis for kidney failure received relief from the itching the treatment often causes.
Preparations
The medicinal properties of lavender are extracted primarily from the oil glands in the leaf and blossom. The plant contains volatile oil, tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids as active chemical components. These phytochemicals are the plant constituents responsible for the medicinal properties. Lavender's volatile oil is best when extracted from flowers picked before they reach maximum bloom and following a long period of hot and dry temperatures. The flower spikes dry quickly when spread on a mat in an airy place away from direct sun.
Distilled oil: The essential oil of lavender is extracted by steam distillation. Just a few drops of this essential oil are effective for topical applications. Commercial distillations of this essential oil are readily available.
Lavender tea: An infusion of the fresh or dried flowers and leaf can be made by pouring a pint of boiling water over one ounce of the dry leaf and flower, or two ounces fresh herb, in a non-metallic pot. It can be steeped (covered) for about ten minutes, strained and sweetened to taste. It should be drunk while still warm. Lavender tea may be taken throughout the day, a mouthful at a time, or warm, by the cup, up to three cups per day. Lavender works well in combination with other medicinal herbs in infusion.
Lavender oil extract: In a glass container, one ounce of freshly harvested lavender flowers can be combined with 1-1/2 pints of olive oil, sufficient to cover the herb. It should be placed in a sunny windowsill for about three days and shaken daily. After three days, the mixture should be strained through muslin or cheesecloth. More fresh flowers should be added and the process repeated until the oil has the desired aromatic strength. Lavender extract can be safely used internally to treat migraines, and nervous indigestion. A few drops on a sugar cube can speed headache relief. Externally, a small amount of lavender oil, rubbed on sore joints, can relieve rheumatism. The essential oil has also been used to minimize scar tissue when applied to burned skin.
Lavender sachet: Dried lavender blossoms and leaves can be sewn into a small cloth bag to scent linens and deter insects. The bag may be placed beneath the pillow as an aromatherapy.
Lavender vinegar: Fresh leaves and blossoms may be steeped in white vinegar for seven days, then strained and stored in a tightly capped bottle.
Precautions
Lavender has a long history of use as an essential oil and as a mildly sedative tea. When taken in moderation the tea is safe. It is important to note that, as with all essential oils, high or chronic doses of lavender essential oil are toxic to the kidney and liver. Infants are even more easily overdosed than adults.
Interestingly, lavenderís relaxant effects were put to the test in a 2002 study on aromatherapyís effects on improved mental or physical performance. It seems that study subjects who smelled lavender actually did worse on mental tests than those who smelled nothing at all. So those choosing to use lavenderís soothing effects should perhaps choose the timing carefully.
Side Effects
No known side effects.
Interactions
As an adjuvant, lavender can enhance the helpful properties of other herbs when used in combination. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) leaves can be combined with lavender as a headache infusion. For cramping, an infusion of lavender and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) makes a soothing tea. Lavender's pleasant scent works well to cover disagreeable odors of other herbs in medicinal combinations. A tonic cordial can be made by combining fresh rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sandlewood with the lavender blossoms and steeping the mixture in brandy for about a week.
Resources
Books
Blumenthal, Mark. The Complete German Commission E Monographs, Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines Massachusetts: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998.
Bown, Deni. The Herb Society of America, Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. New York: D.K. Publications, Inc., 1995
Kowalchik, Claire and Hylton, William H., Editors. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 1987
Lust, John B. The Herb Book. New York: Bantam Books, 1974.
Mabey, Richard. The New Age Herbalist. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1998.
McIntyre, Anne. The Medicinal Garden. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997.
McVicar, Jekka. Herbs For The Home. New York: Penguin Books, 1994.
Peterson, Nocola. Culpeper Guides, Herbs And Health. New York: Seafarer Books, Penguin Books, 1994.
Forsell, Mary. Heirloom Herbs. New York: Villard Books, 1990.
Phillips, Roger and Foy, Nicky. The Random House Book of Herbs. New York: Random House, 1990.
Periodicals
Carlson, Mike, et al. "Rosemary on my Mind (Memory Booster)." Menís Fitness (August 2002): 28.
Ro, You-Ja, et al. "The Effects of Aromatherapy on Pruritis in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis." Dermatology Nursing (August 2002):231-238.
[Article by: Clare Hanrahan; Teresa G. Odle]
lavandula angustifolia
Lavender flowers have a fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous, slightly fruity aroma. Lavender makes a very versatile and soothing aromatherapy oil. The oil is relaxing and its rejuvenating properties make it useful in skincare preparations. It blends well with other oils. Lavender oil may also be used in the treatment of acne, allergies, anxiety, asthma, athlete's foot, bruises, burns, chicken pox, colic, cuts, cystitis, depression, dysmenorrhea, earache, flatulence, headache, hypertension, insect bites, as an insect repellant, for labor pains, migraines, rheumatism, scabies, scars, sores, sprains, strains, stress, stretch marks, vertigo, and whooping cough.
- For the colour shade, see Lavender (color)
| Lavender | ||||||||||||
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Lavender flowers |
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The Lavenders Lavandula are a genus of about 25-30 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the southeast regions of India. The genus includes annuals, herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and small shrubs. The native range extends across the Canary Islands, North and East Africa, south Europe and the Mediterranean, Arabia, and India. Because the cultivated forms are planted in gardens world-wide, they are occasionally found growing wild, as garden escapees, well beyond their natural range.
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Lavender flower |
 Lavender flowers |
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Lavandula stoechas |
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Uses
The most common species in cultivation is the Common Lavender Lavandula angustifolia (formerly L. officinalis). A wide range of cultivars can be found. Other commonly grown ornamental species are L. stoechas, L. dentata, and L. multifida.
Lavenders are widely grown in gardens. Flower spikes are used for dried flower arrangements. The fragrant, pale purple flowers and flower buds are used in potpourris. Dried and sealed in pouches, they are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and as a deterrent to moths. The plant is also grown commercially for extraction of lavender oil from the flowers. This oil is used as an antiseptic and for aromatherapy.
Lavender flowers yield abundant nectar which yields a high quality honey for beekeepers. Lavender monofloral honey is produced primarily in the nations around the Mediterranean, and marketed worldwide as a premium product. Lavender flowers can be candied and are used as cake decoration. Lavender is also used as a herb, either alone or as an ingredient of herbes de Provence. Lavender is also used to flavour sugar, the product being called "lavender sugar", and the flowers are sometimes sold in a blend with black tea, as "lavender tea".
French chefs in and around Provence, France have been incorporating this herb into their cuisine for many centuries. Lavender lends a floral, slightly sweet and elegant flavour to most dishes. For most cooking applications it is the dried buds (also referred to as flowers) of lavender that are utilised, though some chefs experiment with the leaves as well. It is the buds however that contain the essential oil of lavender, which is where both the scent and flavour of lavender are best derived.
Medicinal use
Flower of cultivated lavender; Lavandula stoechas or Spanish lavender
Lavender has been used extensively in herbalism.
English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, yields a highly effective essential oil with very sweet overtones, and can be used in balms, salves, perfumes, cosmetics, and topical applications. French lavender, Lavandula x intermedia, yields a similar essential oil, with higher contents of turpin, which adds a harsher overtone to the fragrance. Spanish lavender, Lavandula stoechas is not used medicinally, but mainly for landscaping purposes.
Essential oil of lavender has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It was used in hospitals during WWI to disinfect floors, walls and other surfaces.
An infusion of lavender is claimed to soothe and heal insect bites. Bunches of lavender are also said to ward off insects. If applied to the temples, lavender oil is said to soothe headaches. Lavender is frequently used as an aid to sleep and relaxation: Seeds and flowers of the plant are added to pillows, and an infusion of three flowerheads added to a cup of boiling water are recommended as a soothing and relaxing bedtime drink. Lavender oil (or extract of Lavender) is claimed to heal acne when used diluted 1:10 with water, rosewater, or witch hazel; it is also used in the treatment of skin burns and inflammatory conditions (it is a traditional treatment for these in Iran).
Health precautions: There is scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of some of these remedies, especially the anti-inflammatory effects, but they should be used with caution since lavender oil can also be a powerful allergen. Ingesting lavender should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.[1].
Gynaecomastia
Two essential oils, lavender and tea tree oil, have been implicated in causing gynaecomastia, an abnormal breast tissue growth in prepubescent boys. An article in the New England Journal of Medicine claimed that the use of shampoo and similar products, containing lavender and tea tree oils, in 3 boys resulted in this condition. The authors were contacted, but have refused to identify the products used or discuss their work further. General knowledge of the formulas of such products, however, suggests that the levels of these materials could not have exceeded a few tenths of one percent--certainly not enough to produce any kind of adverse effects. However, a child hormone specialist at the University of Cambridge has claimed "... these oils can mimic oestrogens" and "people should be a little bit careful about using these products". [2][3][4]
History
Hardy and disease resistant; Lavandula Intermedia or Silver Edge lavender
The ancient Greeks called the lavender herb nardus, after the Syrian city of Naarda. It was also commonly called nard.
During Roman times, flowers were sold for 100 denarii per pound, which was about the same as a month's wages for a farm labourer, or fifty haircuts from the local barber. Lavender was commonly used in Roman baths to scent the water, and it was thought to restore the skin. When the Roman Empire conquered southern Britain, the Romans introduced lavender.
During the height of the Plague, glove makers at Grasse would scent their leathers with lavender oil, and this was claimed to ward off the Plague. This story could have some validity as the Plague was transmitted by fleas, which lavender is known to repel.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy, a soccer player for Real Madrid, advocates the use of Lavender, and has been said to coat his boots in it prior to sleep.
References
- ^ Lavender: Precautions, Center for Integrative Medicine
- ^ "Oils make male breasts develop", BBC News, February 1, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
- ^ N. Engl. J. Med. 356(5):479-85 (2007) Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils. PMID 17267908
- ^ Bad Shampoo for Boys? (2004-07-04). Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
External links
Medicinal use
- Medicinal use: University of Maryland Medical Center
- Medicinal use, Modern and Historical: botanical.com
- Details on all varieties of lavender plants.
Cultivars
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations: Translations for: Lavender
Dansk (Danish)
n. - lavendel
v. tr. - gemme hen, pantsætte
Nederlands (Dutch)
lavendel, lavendelblauw, homoseksualiteit, met lavendel parfumeren, opbergen, zachtlila, geparfumeerd, beschaafd, verwijfd
Français (French)
n. - lavande
v. tr. - recouvrir/imprégner de lavande
adj. - de lavande, lavande (la couleur)
Deutsch (German)
n. - (Bot.) Lavendel
v. - mit Lavendel parfümieren
adj. - lavendelblau
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - λεβάντα
adj. - λεβάντας
Italiano (Italian)
lavanda, profumare di lavanda, di lavanda
Português (Portuguese)
n. - lavanda (f), alfazema (f)
adj. - da cor da alfazema
Русский (Russian)
лаванда, сиреневый цвет, ароматизировать лавандой
Español (Spanish)
n. - espliego, lavanda, alhucema, azul color de lavanda
v. tr. - perfumar con lavanda
adj. - azul, color de lavanda
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - lavendel, lavendelblått
adj. - lavendel, lavendel-, lavendelblå
中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
欧薄荷, 淡紫色, 薰衣草, 用薰衣草薰
中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 歐薄荷, 淡紫色, 薰衣草
v. tr. - 用薰衣草薰
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 라벤더, 연보라색
v. tr. - 라베더로 향기 나게 하다, 말린 라벤더를 넣다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ラベンダー, ラベンダー色
adj. - ラベンダー色の
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) الخزامي, لون أرجواني شاحب (صفه) معطر بالخزامي
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - אזוביון (צמח ריחני), כחול-ארגמן, הומוסקסואליות (מדוברת)
v. tr. - שם אזוביון בתוך (סדינים וכו')
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