Many people appreciate lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, or Lavandula officinalis) for its fragrance, used in soaps,
shampoos, and sachets for scenting clothes. The name lavender comes from the
Latin root lavare, which means "to wash." Lavender may have earned
this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and
spirit.
However, this herb
has also been used as a remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and
anxiety to depression and fatigue. Research has confirmed that lavender
produces slight calming, soothing, and sedative effects when its scent is
inhaled.
Lavender
is native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean where it grows in
sunny, stony habitats. Today, it flourishes throughout southern Europe,
Australia, and the United States. Lavender is a heavily branched short shrub
that grows to a height of roughly 60 centimeters (about 24 inches). Its broad
rootstock bears woody branches with upright, rod like, leafy, green shoots. A
silvery down covers the gray green narrow leaves, which are oblong and tapered,
attached directly at the base, and curled spirally.
The oil
in lavender's small, blue violet flowers gives the herb its fragrant scent. The
flowers are arranged in spirals of 6 - 10 blossoms, forming interrupted spikes
above the foliage.
Sources: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lavender-000260.htm
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?PID=127
