MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC CROPS (2+1)

Description of the plant

Lavender (2n=42 or 48) is perennial, herbaceous, bushy plant with straight, woody branches, the lower of which are leafless, putting out numerous herbaceous stems to a height of 1 m, these are quadrangular, grayish and pubescent. The leaves are opposite, long, narrow, lanceolate and grayish-green, with a downy appearance. The flowers are densely packed in layers and seem to be in whorls. The flower is mauve to violet shade, tinged with a light blue.

Lavandin has two forms: Spikevero and Verospike. The former has a general appearance like spike lavender, while the latter is like true lavender. The tufts of the spikevero form are strongly developed, reaching over 1 m in height and 90-11 cm in diameter within row and 120-170 towards the inter-row spaces, its leaves are broad, shovel-like and grey- green. The floriferous stalks are usually branched. The ear is compact, long, slightly tilted. Its flowers are large and almost always sterile. The verospike forms smaller tufts, has darker green and less smoky leaves. The floriferous stalks are long, but usually not branched. Their floscules are compact, with less floret per node (6-10).