476 LABIATiE. 



Africa tlie staple oil-seed is Ground-nnt {Arachis hypogwa L. p. 18(i). 

 The chief place for the manufacture of sesame' oil is Marseilles. 



Uses — Good sesame oil might be employed without disadvantage 

 for all the purposes for which olive oil is used.^ As its congealing 

 point is some degrees below that of olive oil, it is even more fitted for 

 cool climates. Sesame' seeds are largely consumed as food both in India 

 and Tropical Africa. The foliage of the plant abounds in mucilage, and 

 in the United States is sometimes used in the form of poultice. 



LABIATE. 



FLORES LAVANDULA. 



' Lavender Flowers; F. Fleurs de Lavande ; G. Lavendelhlumen. 



_ Botanical Origm— Lavandula vera DC, a shrubby plant growing 

 in the wild state from 1 to 2 feet high, but attaining 3 feet or more 

 under cultivation. It is indigenous to the mountainous regions of the 

 countries bordering the western half of the Mediterranean basin. Thus 

 It occurs in Eastern Spain, Southern France (extending northward to 

 .%ons and Dauphiny), in Upper Italy, Corsica, Calabria and Northern 

 Africa,— on the outside of the olive region.^ In cultivation it grows 

 very well m the open air throughout the greater part of Germany and 

 as far north as Norway and Livonia ; the northern plant would even 

 appear to be more fragrant, according to Schiibeler.* 



•A ^j.^^°^y~There has been much learned investigation in order to 

 identify lavender in the writings of the classical authors, but the result 

 has not been satisfactory, and no allusion has been found which 

 unquestionably refers either to L. vera or to L. Spica; whereas L 

 btvechas wasj)erfectly famih'ar to the ancients. 



Ihe earliest mention of lavender that we have observed, occurs in 

 tlie writings of the abbess Hildegard,-' who lived near Bingen on the 

 Khine during the 12th century, and who in a chapter De Lavendida 

 alludes to the strong odour and many virtues of the plant. In a poem 



ot the school of Salerno entitled Flos Medlchioi^ occur the followiug 

 lines : — 



"Salvia, castorciim, lavendida, primula veris, 

 Nasturtium, athana.'s hrec sanant paralytica membra." 



In 13&7 cushions of satin were made for Kincr Charles VI. of France, 

 to be stuffed with " lavemUr^ Its use was also popular at an early 

 period m the British isles, for we find - Llafant" ov " Llafanllys 

 mentioned among the remedies of the " Physicians of Myddvai."^ And 



prlp^ortion'r^f '"*''1 '''''' *'^^ ^''^^S^'^ ' ^- ^^ Gingins-Lassaraz, UisL d,s- La- 



tendency to solidify, should be remem- ^ Q^eya Omnia, accurante J. P- M.gnC 



2 On Afnnf v» 4. * Paris, 1855. 1143. . v* 



regioi of zi.?//" ""^ ""?^ '^"^-^mon, the « g.' je Renzi, Colkdio Salcvmiam, >»" 



(1873-1875) :ZGO. '*'-'^"'''' Chnstiama 287. 



