104 MEDICINAL HEKBS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



r 



British plant, Lavender is extensively cultivated for the 

 market in this country, a volatile oil being produced by 

 the distillation of the flowers. This Oil of Lavender is 

 a pale-yellow liquid with a pungent taste. It is used 

 as an aromatic stimulant and a carminative. It is an 

 interestino- fact tliat the Engjlish-grown Lavender oil is 

 iive to ten times more valuable than the French product. 

 We may here direct attention to an obvious conclusion 

 to be drawn from this fact — namely, that some foreign 

 plants may be cultivated in this country with greater 

 success than in their native country. 



Another Lavender, namely the Spike Lavender 

 (Lavandula spica), yields on distillation the oil of spike 

 lavender. This possesses somewhat similar properties, 

 though inferior, to the oil obtained from the Lavender 

 mentioned above. Botanically, the Spike Lavender is 

 distinguished from the former by the presence of linear 

 bracts, those attached to the floMers of Lavandida vera 

 being rhomboidal in shape. 



Collection. — The flowers are picked when the lower- 

 most ones have just appeared; they are stripped from 

 tlie stalk and dried. The oil-glands are chiefly confined 

 to the calyx, and appear on this structure (itself bluish- 

 violut) as shining bodies, easily visible with tlie help of 



a pocket-lens. 



Mr. Shenstone points out that the 

 demand for Continental lavender is nor- 

 mally three or four times that of the 

 British variety because of the cheapness 

 of the former. He suggests cultivating 



Fi,. r>4.-corona. ^^"'^^^^ ^^'1*^ ^ ^^^'g^^' num1>.-r of florets 

 Miut Family upon the spikes, and thus reducing the 



cost of production. 

 The Mint Family (Menflw) —"Yh^ members of this 

 essentially British family are distinguished from tlie 



