56 
ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS. 
Officinal Rosemary * 
Class DiANDRiA. — Order Monogynia. 
Nat. Ord. Verticillat^, Linn. Labiatje, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Corolla unequal, upper lip 2-parted. 
Filaments long, curved, simple, toothed. 
Spec. Char. Leaves sessile. 
Of the genus Rosmarinus, two species only are known and culti- 
vated in this country, the Rosmarinus Officinalis, and Rosmarinus 
Chilensis. There are varieties of both these species of rosemary, one 
with white striped leaves, denominated silver leaved, this is a variety 
of the Officinalis,and another with yellow striped leaves called golden 
rosemary, this latter is a variety of the Rosmarinus Chilensis.f The 
Rosmarinus Officinalis is a perennial shrub, a native of the south of 
Europe, growing plentifully in Spain, Italy, and the southern parts 
of France, where upon the dry rocky soils near the sea J it thrives 
luxuriantly. 
Rosemary, although indigenous to a warm climate, will bear the 
ordinary winters of this country in the open air, provided it is planted 
in a sheltered situation, upon a dry, gravelly, and poor soil ; its cul- 
tivation in England is probably of very ancient date, but now cannot 
be traced beyond the time of Gerarde, or, according to the Hortus 
Cantabrigiensis, the year 1596. It appears the ancients were well 
acquainted with this plant, it being mentioned by Galen, Dioscorides 
and Pliny. The Rosmarinus Officinalis is an evergreen shrubby plant, 
and grows to the height of three or four feet, with a strong woody 
stem, sending out many spreading branches; the leaves are sessile, 
linear, and reflected on the edges, from one to two-eighths of an inch 
broad, and from one inch to one inch and a half long, downy on the 
under side, and of a dark shining green above ; the blossoms are of 
* Fig. a. represents a sprig of a natural size. h. Caljx. c. The Pistilluui. d, A 
Stamen. 
+ Vide Miller's Gard. Diet. 
X The generic name Rosmarinus appears to be derived from the Latin " ros dew, 
and mariuus," in allusion to its being indigenous to the sea coast. 
