ROSMARINUS, ROSEMARY; a genus of the mo-
nogynia order, belonging to the diandra class of
plants. There are two species, the angustifolia and
latifolia, or narrow and broad leaved rosemary; of
which the second has larger flowers and a stronger
scent than the other. There are two varieties; one of
the first sort with striped leaves, called the silver rose-
mary; and the other with yellow, whence it is called
the gold-striped rosemary. These plants grow naturally
in the southern parts of France, Spain, and Italy;
where, upon dry rocky soils near the sea, they thrive
prodigiously, and perfume the air in such a manner as
to be smelt at a great distance from the land. How-
ever, they are hardy enough to bear the cold of our
ordinary winters, provided they be planted upon a
poor, dry, gravelly soil, on which they will endure
the cold much better than in a richer ground, where,
growing more vigorously in summer, they are more
apt to be injured by frost in winter; nor will they
have such a strong aromatic scent as those on a dry and
barren soil. They are to be propagated either by
slips or cuttings.
Rosemary has a fragrant smell, and a warm pun-
gent bitterish taste, approaching to those of lavender:
the leaves and tender tops are strongest; next to
those, the cup of the flower; the flowers themselves are
considerably the weakest, but most pleasant. Aqueous
liquors extract great share of the virtues of rosemary
leaves by infusion, and elevate them in distillation;
along with the water arises a considerable quantity of
essential oil, of an agreeable strong penetrating smell.
Pure spirit extracts in great perfection the whole aro-
matic flavour of the rosemary, and elevates very little
of it in distillation; hence the resinous mass, left upon
extracting the spirit, proves an elegant aromatic, very
rich in the peculiar qualities of the plant. The flowers
of rosemary give over great part of their flavour in di-
stillation with pure spirit: by watery liquors, their
fragrance is much injured; by beating, destroyed.