0481 



ROSEMARY. 



Family: LABIATAE. 



Reproductive system: DlANDRY, MONOGYNY. 



In Italy and in Provence where it grows naturally, the rosemary, Rosmarinus 

 officinalis, LINN., reaches a height of five or six feet; but it's not as tall in our gardens in 

 the north of France. It's quite popular there because of the pungent aroma that emanates 

 from all parts of the plant. The branches are long; they're brown or ash-colored. They 

 have lots of narrow linear leaves that are firm, green above, whitish underneath, with 

 slightly recurved margins in the cultivated variety. The flowers are axillary, with several 

 together on the same pedicel. They're pale blue or white with bluish spots. The calyx is 

 shortened at its top and bare at its entrance while it's maturing. It has two lips: the upper 

 one is entire; the lower one has two teeth. The corolla is monopetalous and labiate. The 

 upper lip has two lobes. The lower one, much larger, has five; two of them have very 

 deep separations. Two stamens are inserted in the top of the tube of the corolla. The 

 ovary is free; it has four sections; a long style with a bifid stigma emerges from between 

 them. The fruit is a polyachene made up of four indehiscent lobes, each one containing a 

 single seed. 



FLOWERS: at the beginning of spring. 



RANGE: Provence and a number regions in southern France. 



NOMENCLATURE. German, der rosmarin. English, rosemary. Italian, rosmarino. 

 Arabic, klil. Chinese, yongtsao. 



USES. A very plentiful essential oil, used in the pharmaceutical and perfume 

 industries, is extracted from the plant by distillation. 



