Lavender is a type of plant found on almost all continents. It has a purplish color. Lavenders in food Lavender is also used in cake decorating, because the flowers can become candied. Sometimes they are used in flavoring baked goods and chocolate desserts, and sometimes they use it to make a very delicious “ lavender sugar”. Lavender flowers are also used to make tea. Medicine Lavenders are sometimes put in medicine, too, and sometimes to prevent infection such as lavender oil . As the folk wisdom says, lavender oil is also helpful to headaches, when rubbed on your temple, and lavender tea helps you relax before bed time. Lavender also is very helpful when applied to insect bites.
Lavender is a type of plant found on almost all continents. It has a purplish color.
Lavenders in food
Lavender is also used in cake decorating, because the flowers can become candied. Sometimes they are used in flavoring baked goods and chocolate desserts, and sometimes they use it to make a very delicious “ lavender sugar”. Lavender flowers are also used to make tea.
Medicine
Lavenders are sometimes put in medicine, too, and sometimes to prevent infection such as lavender oil . As the folk wisdom says, lavender oil is also helpful to headaches, when rubbed on your temple, and lavender tea helps you relax before bed time. Lavender also is very helpful when applied to insect bites.
Salvia is the largest kind of plants in the Minit Family with nearly 1000 species of shrubs annually. It is one of the several kinds that commonly referred to as sage. This kind is distributed throughout the Old World and the Americas, with three distinct regions of variety: Central and South America ; Central Asia and Mediterranean ; Eastern Asia (90 species). Description: Salvia species include annual, biennial, or perennial herbs, along with woody subshrubs. The stems are typically angled like other members of Lamiaceae. The leaves are typically entire, but sometimes toothed or pinnately divided. The flowering stems bear small bracts, dissimilar to the basal leaves in some species, the bracts are ornamental and showy. The flowers are produced in clusters or panicles and generally produce a showy display with flower colors ranging from blue to red, with white and yellow less common. The calyx is normally tubular or bell-shaped, without bearded throats, and divided into two parts or lips, the upper lip entire or three-toothed, the lower two-cleft. The corollas are often paw shaped and are two-lipped. The upper lip is usually entire or three-toothed. The lower lip typically has two lobes. The stamens are reduced to two short structures with anthers two-celled, the upper cell fertile, and the lower imperfect. The flower styles are two-cleft. The fruits are smooth ovoid or oblong nutlets and in many species, they have a mucilaginous coating. Many members of Salvia have hairs growing on the leaves, stems, and flowers, which help to reduce water loss in some species. Sometimes the hairs are glandular and secrete volatile oils that typically give a distinct aroma to the plant. When the hairs are rubbed or brushed, some of the oil-bearing cells are ruptured, releasing the oil. This often results in the plant being unattractive
Salvia is the largest kind of plants in the Minit Family with nearly 1000 species of shrubs annually. It is one of the several kinds that commonly referred to as sage.
This kind is distributed throughout the Old World and the Americas, with three distinct regions of variety:
Central and South America ; Central Asia and Mediterranean ; Eastern Asia (90 species).
Description:
Salvia species include annual, biennial, or perennial herbs, along with woody subshrubs. The stems are typically angled like other members of Lamiaceae. The leaves are typically entire, but sometimes toothed or pinnately divided. The flowering stems bear small bracts, dissimilar to the basal leaves in some species, the bracts are ornamental and showy.
The flowers are produced in clusters or panicles and generally produce a showy display with flower colors ranging from blue to red, with white and yellow less common. The calyx is normally tubular or bell-shaped, without bearded throats, and divided into two parts or lips, the upper lip entire or three-toothed, the lower two-cleft. The corollas are often paw shaped and are two-lipped. The upper lip is usually entire or three-toothed. The lower lip typically has two lobes. The stamens are reduced to two short structures with anthers two-celled, the upper cell fertile, and the lower imperfect. The flower styles are two-cleft. The fruits are smooth ovoid or oblong nutlets and in many species, they have a mucilaginous coating.
Many members of Salvia have hairs growing on the leaves, stems, and flowers, which help to reduce water loss in some species. Sometimes the hairs are glandular and secrete volatile oils that typically give a distinct aroma to the plant. When the hairs are rubbed or brushed, some of the oil-bearing cells are ruptured, releasing the oil. This often results in the plant being unattractive to grazing animals and some insects.
Staminal lever mechanism
The defining characteristic of the genus Salvia is the unusual pollination mechanism.
It is central to any investigation into the systematics, species radiation, or pollination biology of Salvia. It is instead of the typical four found in other members of the tribe Mentheae consists of two stamens and the two thecae on each stamen are separated by an elongate connective. It is the elongation of the connective that enables the formation of the lever mechanism.
It believed that the lever mechanism is a key factor in the speciation, adaptive radiation, and diversity of this large genus.
History
George Bentham was first to give a full monographic account of the genus in 1832-1836, and based his classifications on stamina morphology and it is still
the only comprehensive and global organization of the family.
He was less confident about his organization of Salvia. At that time, there were only 291 known Salvia species.
Subdivision:
Bentham eventually organized Salvia into twelve sections (originally fourteen), based on differences in scyphus , pappus, flag. These were placed into four subgenera that were generally divided into Old World and New World species.
His system is still the most widely studied classification of Salvia, however, more than 500 new species have been discovered since his work.
Other botanists have since offered modified versions of Bentham’s classification system while botanists in the last hundred years generally do not endorse Bentham’s system.
Salvia was monophyletic, meaning that all members of the genus evolved from one ancestor.
However, the immense variety in stamina structure, vegetative habit and floral morphology of the species within Salvia has opened the debate about its infrageneric classifications.
Selected species and their uses
Many species are used as herbs, as ornamental plants (usually for flower interest), and sometimes for their ornamental and aromatic foliage. The Plant List has 986 accepted species names.
Hybrids
Many inter specific hybrids occur naturally, with a relatively high degree of cross ability, but some of them have been intentional. A natural hybrid has given rise to a series of popular ornamentals.
Etymology
The name Salvia derives from the Latin severe. the verb related to sales , referring to the herb’s healing properties.
Pliny the Elder was the first author known to describe a plant called “Salvia” by the Romans, likely describing the type species of the genus Salvia, Salvia officinalis.
The common modern English name sage derives from Middle English sawge, which was borrowed from Old French sauge, and like the botanical name stems from Latin salvere. When used without modifiers, the name ‘sage’ generally refers to Salvia officinalis . however, it is used with modifiers to refer to any member of the genus. The ornamental species are commonly referred to by their genus name Salvia
Melissa officinalis, known as lemon balm, balm, common balm, or balm mint, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to south-central Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and Central Asia. It grows to 70–150 cm (28–59 in) tall. The leaves have a gentle lemon scent, related to mint. During summer, small white flowers full of nectar appear. It is not to be confused with bee balm (which is genus Monarda). The white flowers attract bees, hence the genus name Melissa (Greek for 'honey bee'). Its flavor comes from citronellal (24%), geranial (16%), linalyl acetate (12%) and caryophyllene(12%). Cultivation Officinalis is native to Europe, central Asia, and Iran, but is now naturalized around the world. Lemon balm seeds require light and at least 20°C (70°F) to germinate. Lemon balm grows in clumps and spreads vegetatively, as well as by seed. In mild temperate zones, the stems of the plant die off at the start of the winter, but shoot up again in spring. Lemon balm grows vigorously and should not be planted where it will spread into other plantings. Officinalis may be the "honey-leaf" (μελισσόφυλλον) mentioned byTheophrastus.[8] It was in the herbal garden of John Gerard, 1596.[9] The many cultivars of M. Officinalis include: Officinalis 'Citronella' M. Officinalis 'Lemonella' Officinalis 'Quedlinburger' Officinalis 'Lime' Officinalis ‘Variegata’ Officinalis ‘Aurea’ (M. Officinalis ‘Quedlinburger Niederliegende’ is an improved variety bred for high essential oil content.) Usage Culinary use Lemon balm is often used as a flavoring in ice cream and herbal teas, both hot and iced, often in combination with other herbs such as spearmint. It is also frequently paired with fruit dishes or candies. It can be used in fish dishes and is the key ingredient in lemon balm pesto. Uses in traditional and alternative medicine In the traditional Austrian medicine, M. Officinalis leaves have been prescribed for internal (as tea) or external (essential oil) application for the treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, liver, and bile. It is also a common addition
Officinalis is native to Europe, central Asia, and Iran, but is now naturalized around the world.
Lemon balm seeds require light and at least 20°C (70°F) to germinate. Lemon balm grows in clumps and spreads vegetatively, as well as by seed. In mild temperate zones, the stems of the plant die off at the start of the winter, but shoot up again in spring. Lemon balm grows vigorously and should not be planted where it will spread into other plantings.
Officinalis may be the “honey-leaf” (μελισσόφυλλον) mentioned byTheophrastus.[8] It was in the herbal garden of John Gerard, 1596.[9] The many cultivars of M. Officinalis include:
Officinalis ‘Citronella’
M. Officinalis ‘Lemonella’
Officinalis ‘Quedlinburger’
Officinalis ‘Lime’
Officinalis ‘Variegata’
Officinalis ‘Aurea’
(M. Officinalis ‘Quedlinburger Niederliegende’ is an improved variety bred for high essential oil content.)
Usage
Culinary use
Lemon balm is often used as a flavoring in ice cream and herbal teas, both hot and iced, often in combination with other herbs such as spearmint. It is also frequently paired with fruit dishes or candies. It can be used in fish dishes and is the key ingredient in lemon balm pesto.
Uses in traditional and alternative medicine
In the traditional Austrian medicine, M. Officinalis leaves have been prescribed for internal (as tea) or external (essential oil) application for the treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, liver, and bile. It is also a common addition to peppermint tea, mostly because of its complementing flavor.
Lemon balm is the main ingredient of Carmelite Water, which is still for sale in German pharmacies.
Lemon balm essential oil is very popular in aromatherapy. The essential oil is commonly distilled with lemon oil, citronella oil, or other oils.
Research into possible effects on humans
High doses of purified lemon balm extracts were found to be effective in the amelioration of laboratory-induced stress in human subjects, producing “significantly increased self-ratings of calmness and reduced self-ratings of alertness.” The authors further report a “significant increase in the speed of mathematical processing, with no reduction in accuracy” following the administration of a 300-mg dose of extract.
Lemon balm is believed to inhibit the absorption of the thyroid medication thyroxine.
Recent research found a daily dose of the tea reduced oxidative stress status in radiology staff who were exposed to persistent low-dose radiation during work. After only 30 days of taking the tea daily, consuming lemon balm tea resulted in a significant improvement in plasma levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, and a marked reduction in plasma DNA damage , myeloperoxidase, and lipid peroxidation.
The crushed leaves, when rubbed on the skin, are used as a mosquito repellent.
Lemon balm is also used medicinally as an herbal tea, or in extract form. It is used as an anxiolytic, mild sedative, or calming agent. At least one study has found it to be effective at reducing stress, although the study’s authors call for further research. Lemon balm extract was identified as a potent in vitro inhibitor of GABA transaminase, which explains anxiolytic effects. The major compound responsible for GABA transaminase inhibition activity in lemon balm was then found to be rosmarinic acid.
Lemon balm and preparations thereof also have been shown to improve mood and mental performance. These effects are believed to involve muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Positive results have been achieved in a small clinical trial involving Alzheimer patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Essential oils obtained from Melissa officinalis leaf showed high acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase co-inhibitory activities.
Its antibacterial properties have also been demonstrated scientifically, although they are markedly weaker than those from a number of other plants studied.The extract of lemon balm was also found to have exceptionally high antioxidant activity.
Lemon balm is mentioned in the scientific journal Endocrinology, where it is explained that Melissa officinalis exhibits anti thyrotropic activity, inhibiting TSH from attaching to TSH receptors, hence making it of possible use in the treatment of Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism.
