rosemary, in botany: A genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the diandra clas of plants, and in the natural method ranking under the 42d order, Verticillatae. The corolla is unequal, with its upper lip bipartite; the filaments are long, curved, and fimbriate, each having a small dent. 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 with striped leaves, called the silver rosemary; 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 felt at a great distance from the land. However, 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 pungent 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 aromatic flavour of the rosemary, and elevates very little of it in distillation; hence the refined 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 distillation with pure spirit; by watery liquors, their fragrance is much injured; by beating, destroyed.