LAVENDER: A genus of the angiosperma order, belonging to the didynamia clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 42d order, Verticillata. The calyx is ovate, and a little dentated, supported by a bractea or floral leaf; the corolla is resupinated; the lamina within the tube.

Species. 1. The spica, or lavender spike, hath a short shrubby stalk, rising two or three feet high; small spear-shaped entire leaves; and from the ends of the branches, numerous, long, erect, naked spikes of small ringent flowers, of different colours in the varieties. The varieties of this are common narrow-leaved lavender, with blue flowers, and with white flowers; broad-leaved lavender; dwarf lavender: all of them flowering in July. This species is the common lavender; but the narrow-leaved variety, with blue flowers, is the most commonly cultivated for its flowers for medicine, &c. The flochas, or French lavender, hath a shrubby very branchy stalk, rising two or three feet high; very narrow, spear-shaped, pointed, hoary leaves, opposite; and all the branches terminated by short bushy spikes of purple flowers in June and July; succeeded by seeds in August. There is a variety with white flowers. 3. The dentata, or dentate-leaved flochas, hath a woody stalk, branching on every side three or four feet high; leaves deeply indented in a pinnated manner; and the branches terminated by scaly four-cornered spikes of flowers, appearing most part of summer.

Culture. All the sorts are propagated plentifully by slips or cuttings of their young shoots in spring. In March or April, take off a quantity of slips or cuttings, from three or four to six inches long; strip off the under leaves; then plant them in a shady border, four inches asunder; give a good watering, repeat it occasionally in dry weather, and the plants will be well rooted in summer, and each become a good plant fit to be transplanted into any place early in autumn, that is September or October; removing them, if possible, with balls of earth; and if intended to plant them for use, set them in rows two or three feet asunder, and two feet distance in each row: if any are designed for the shrubbery, they should be stationed singly at good distances near the front. Those of the third sort being tender, should be potted to move to shelter in winter. The lavandula flochas is also often raised from seed, sown in March or April, in a bed of light earth.

Uses. The two first species are proper both for the kitchen-garden, for medicinal and other family-uses; and to plant in the pleasure-ground to adorn the front of small shrubbery compartments, where they will increase the variety very agreeably; and are finely-scented aromatics, both when growing, and their flowers when gathered, especially those of the first species, which are in great esteem for putting among cloaths, and for distilling and other economical uses. The flowers of the first sort are gathered for use in July, which being the time of their perfection, cut off the spikes close in a dry day, and tie them in small bunches for use. These and the summits are in a very eminent degree cephalic and nervine. They are given in palpitus, vertigos, lethargies, tremors, and suppression of the menstrual evacuation. The compound spirit distilled from them is famous in these and many other like cases. The distilled oil is particularly celebrated for destroying the pediculi inguinales, and other cutaneous insects. If soft spongy paper, dipt in this oil, either alone or mixed with oil of almonds, be applied at night to the parts infected, the insects will certainly, says Geoffroy, be all found dead in the morning.