White Lotus Aromatics Newsletter - Lavender, Oct. 4, 2000
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Lavender
Dear Friends,
Today we shall explore a plant that is dear to many of us as an immediate reality.
There are many exotic flowers, herbs, spices, roots and woods which grow in
distant lands which are difficult for many us to experience in a direct way
but lavender is a plant which grows in many North American and European climates.
This quiet and humble herb exudes a scintillating, fresh and pure aroma which
seldom fails to touch the heart. It reminds one of simpler times when such elegant
gifts of nature were used to enhance the lives of the common people by placing
these aromatic stems in drawers and chests, to scent sheets and garments. It
was a common ingredient in potpourris, lending color and aroma to house and
home. Today we are also realizing the incredible value of this plant and its
precious oil and the use of lavender for a wide of variety of aesthetic and
therapeutic purposes is well known.
One of the most enjoyable literary pursuits one can engage in is to search
for the mention of such venerable plants in books and stories. The contact with
plants through the writings of those who have known and loved them is a great
joy. It illuminates areas of our own experience and increases our love and appreciation
of plants which are both familiar and precious. So I have included a few quotes
that I thought you might enjoy.
" Aurelia went on with the business with calm equanimity, and made even
profits every year. They were small, but more than enough for her to live on,
and she paid the last dollar of the mortgage which had so fretted her father,
and owned the old house clear. She led a peaceful, innocent life, with her green
herbs for companions; she associated little with the people around, except in
a business way. They came to see her, but she rarely entered their houses. Every
room in her house was festooned with herbs; she knew every kind that grew in
the New England woods, and hunted them out in their season and brought them
home; she was a simple sweet soul, with none of the morbid melancholy of her
parents about her. She loved her work, and the green-wood things were to her
as friends, and the healing qualities of sarsaparilla and thoroughwort, and
the sweetness of thyme and lavender, seemed to have entered into her nature,
till she almost could talk with them in that way. She had never thought of being
unhappy; but now she wondered at herself over this child. It was a darling of
a child; as dainty and winsome a girl baby as ever was. Her poor young mother
had had a fondness for romantic names, which she had bestowed, as the only heritage
within her power, on all her children. This one was Myrtilla -- Myrtie for short.
The little thing clung to Aurelia from the first, and Aurelia found that she
had another way of loving besides the way in which she loved lavender and thoroughwort.
The comfort she took with the child through the next winter was unspeakable.
The herbs were banished from the south room, which was turned into a nursery,
and a warm carpet was put on the floor, that the baby might not take cold. She
learned to cook for the baby -- her own diet had been chiefly vegetarian. She
became a charming nursing mother. People wondered. "It does beat all how handy
'Relia is with that baby," Mrs. Atwood told Viny.'
Wilkins, Mary E. : A Gatherer of Simples October, 1884
'But he took her hand, and they came by sunny alleys of boxwood to a great
plane tree, bearing at wondrous height a mighty wealth of branches. A bank of
soft, green turf encircled its roots, and they sat down in the trembling shadows.
It was in the midst of the herb garden; beds of mint and thyme, rosemary and
marjoram, basil, lavender, and other fragrant plants were around, and close
at hand a little city of straw skeps peopled by golden brown bees; From these
skeps came a delicious aroma of riced flowers and virgin wax. It was a new Garden
of Eden, in which life was sweet as perfume and pure as prayer. Nothing stirred
the green, sunny afternoon but the murmur of the bees, and the sleepy twittering
of the birds in the plane branches. An inexpressible peace swept like the breath
of heaven through the odorous places. They sat down sighing for very happiness.
The silence became too eloquent. At length it was almost unendurable, and Ethel
said softly: "How still it is!"
Barr, Amelia E. : The Man Between : An International Romance 1906
' Even Death himself, the great and terrible King of kings, though he may break
the heart of love with agonies and anguish and slow tortures of separation,
may break not his faith. No one that has loved will dream even death too terrible
a price to pay for the revelation of love. For that revelation once made can
never be recalled. As a little sprig of lavender will perfume a queen's wardrobe,
so will a short year of love keep sweet a long life. And love's best gifts death
can never take away. Nay, indeed, death does not so much rob as enrich the gifts
of love. The dead face that was fair grows fairer each spring, sweet memories
grow more sweet, what was silver is now gold, and as years go by, the very death
of love becomes its immortality.
Le Gallienne, Richard : The Quest of the Golden Girl 1896
'Never was there so pretty a table of contents! When you open his book the breath of the English rural year fans your cheek; the pages seem to exhale wildwood and meadow smells, as if sprigs of tansy and lavender had been shut up in the volume and forgotten. One has a sense of hawthorn hedges and wide-spreading oaks, of open lead-set lattices half hidden with honeysuckle; and distant voices of the haymakers, returning home in the rosy afterglow, fall dreamily on one's ear, as sounds should fall when fancy listens. There is no English poet so thoroughly English as Herrick. He painted the country life of his own time as no other has painted it at any time.' Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836-1907 : Ponkapog Papers. 1904
After he had finished telling me his story, I felt just as I used to when Grandmother
opened the "big chist" to air her wedding clothes and the dress each of her
babies wore when baptized. It seemed almost like smelling the lavender and rose-leaves,
and it was with reverent fingers that I folded the shirt, the work of love,
yellow with
age, and laid it in the box. . . .'
Stewart, Elinore Pruitt : Letters of a Woman Homesteader 1847
Today lavender is grown in a number of countries including France, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Australia and Tasmania. In the area where my mother lives(Port Angeles, Washington) lavender is now being cultivated on a semi-commerical basis as the soil and climate well suit its needs. In some localities the plant is cultivated on such a large scale that it can be harvested by large machinery but there are many places including Kashmir in India where the only means of obtaining the rich purple blossoms is to cut them by hand. There can be no doubt that there is a lot to be said for efficient mechanical means of cutting aromatic plants but there is also a lot to be appreciated about the ancient means of procuring the aromatic riches of the land. A great abundance of literature is available on lavender and many of you may have also had the chance to see the lavender harvest in France or other countries where the plant is grown. I have listed a number of good sites where you can further enrich your understanding of this wonderful plant and its essence. For your enjoyment I have obtained a nice selection of lavenders so that you can explore the subtle differences of oils obtained by different means of distillation/extraction and also from different locales. As always I encourage everyone to procure samples of oils so that they may find the essence that resonates with their heart the most. The lavender oils offered here are just a tiny representation of what is available from reputable essential oil companies but it is wide enough to give you some idea of the different qualities displayed by this charming plant.
True lavender (Lavandula officinalis) occurs as a small, sparsely branched wild plant in the north Mediterranean from Spain to Greece, where it grows wild or cultivated at medium altitudes (600 - 1500m) of mountain regions. It is cultivated as a garden ornamental in much of Europe. Smaller cultivations exist in Australia, England, Yugoslavia and Russia. However as sufficient concentration of essential oil is only produced in suitably hot dry climates, the bulk of production takes place in south east France where it is grown on a field scale usually at 700 - 1200 m altitude.
True lavender is an evergreen sub-shrub with much branched woody stems forming a dense hemispherical clump. All parts of the plant have the characteristic scent of lavender. Woody stems are 20 - 30cm long and densely covered in opposite, small, green, entire, linear leaves. Flowering stems are leafless and unbranched and rise well above the leafy stems up to 60cm in height. Flowers are small, bluish and 2-lipped and are easily separated from the spike-like terminal panicles.
Spike lavender (L. latifolia) is native to the Mediterranean, and is cultivated internationally, with France and Spain being the main oil producing regions. It differs from true lavender in that the woody stems are longer and branching making the overall size of the clump larger, from 30 - 80cm height. Young leaves are opposite, woolly, whitish, narrowly spoon shaped and not linear. Flowers are purple and not easily detached from panicles. All parts of the plant have a camphor-like scent. Pure L. latifolia produces essence de spic or huile d’aspic but this is now almost entirely replaced by the essential oil of the more widely cultivated hybrid Lavandin.
A hybrid of L. officinalis and L. latifolia is L. intermedia, called Lavandin with characters intermediate between the two. Lavandin is by far the most widely grown of the three commercial forms, especially in the south of France where it is cultivated at lower altitudes (400 - 700 m) than true lavender. Lavandin yields four times more oil per volume of plants than true lavender, but it is of inferior quality with a distinct camphor scent. It is therefore not used in fine perfumery but to scent soaps, air fresheners and the like. Lavandin is also the source of commercial English lavender.
http://www.ienica.net/crops/lavender.htm
Wild lavender and cultures of lavender and lavandins:
There are in France three "Lavender" growing wild:
-Lavandula vera
-Lavandula stoechas
-Lavandula spica
From this one there are some "subspecies":
-Lavandula vera DC or Lavandula officinalis Chaix. It grows from 700-1800 meter altitude in the Haute Provence, France. The best quality comes from more than 1000 meter.
There are two natural varieties of the Lavandula vera: -variety "Fragrans", preferring dry ground with a lot of sun -variety "Delphinensis", preferring the fresh valleys and more from the sun protected places.
Naturally, in the altitude around 700-800 meters there is a contact with the Lavandula vera and the Lavandula spica, thus creating through the bees a natural hybrid form, known as "Lavandin".
These "Lavandins" have intermediar properties of their "parents" and are habitually sterile.
The first plantations of "Lavandins" came from transplantations of wild ones to adapted fields,but only in 1925 the technique of cloning was developped and enabled the apparition of several clones.
There is a very important reason for this "cloning" because the yield can be 2-5 times higher compared with Lavandula vera.
Clones:
The first succesfull clone was the Lavandin abriale (made by prof. Abriale), and had a huge succes from 1930 on, replacing most of the transplantations.
(Image Christiane Meunier)
At one time 2/3 of the surfaces were planted with abrialis, before
(Image Christiane Meunier)
a plant disease "fatigue" appeared and the abrialis was partly replaced by the Lavandin super. Lavandin abrialis was almost completely left behind later by the Lavandin Grosso. (from 1975 on)
In fact, Lavandin abrialis represents less than 10 percent of the production in France.
Lavandin grosso. This clone was developped by M. Grosso, from Gault (Vaucluse).
This clone is robust and productive and became very popular from 1972-1975 onwards. Lavandin Grosso represents 3/4 of the cultivated production areas, and in certain regions more than 90 percent (Plateau de Valensole).
The yield of Lavandin grosso is three times greather than the Abrialis clone.
Chemically, Lavandin super and Lavandin abrialis are closest to the original Lavandula vera.
There are other lavandin clones, less known: the 41/70, Special Grégoire, 33/70, Sumian etc…
Lavender clones:
The clone method was also used with the Lavandula vera, thus creating the clones "Matheronne" and "Maillette", the Maillette is most widespread, specially in the Eastern countries and thus replacing the original Lavandula vera. The Matheronne lavender variety has many advantages in culture and yield, but produces an essential oil that is not very soluble and therefore difficult in perfume use. The culture of this variety is almost abandoned.
Some lavender varieties are cultivated solely for the use of the dried flowers, not for the distillation of essential oil.
Around 1985-90 3000 hectares of lavande fine were cultivated in France (most Lavande fine and Maillette), 12000 hectares were cultivated with lavandin (3/4 Grosso, a little lavandin abrialis and lavandin super.
…Spike or spike lavender, Lavandula latifolia, resembles true lavender, but grows somewhat taller (80 to 90 cm).
The colour of the flowers is grayish rather than bluish. The volatile oil contained in the flowers possesses an odor reminiscent of lavender, but harsher, more camphoraceous.
The quality of lavender essential oils…
"...talking about quality...
even the mention: conformation to the French Pharmacopeia is not a guarantee:
The French Pharmacopeia contains only some essential oils.
This is for instance what it mentions about lavender:
Essence de lavande
Aetheroleum lavandulae
...from Lavande officinale: Lavandula vera D.C. Lavandula officinalis,
Chaix ex-Villars.
The essence contains a proportion of esters "exprimes" in linalyl acetate
varying between
35 and 55 p 100.
Characteristics:
liquid pale yellow.....
Now, the finest lavender officinalis harvested in the Haute Provence at more than 1400 m have up to 70 percent linalyl acetate, this would discard them from the quality mentioned in the French Pharmacopeia.
Any perfume industry in Grasse is able to "make" a lavender oil from synthetic products, without traces of natural lavender, conform to the given "standards", and to the Pharmacopeia. This "Lavender" oil will not be counter indicated for medical use, but the real one, not conform to the "standards", will!.............."
"Distillers located at high altitude produce oils of higher ester content, not only because of the fact that high-altitude, wild growing plants contain more esters, but also because of the fact that high altitude distillation means lower-temperature boiling. Consequently, the distilled oil is not exposed to 100 degree C. hot steam, but perhaps only to 92 or 93 degree C. Even this small decrease in temperature means that the hydrolysis of the natural linalyl esters take place at a much slower rate. A rapid distillation at slightly reduced pressure (high altitude) may thus produce an oil with nearly all the natural linalyl esters."
http://www.nature-helps.com/agora/lavender.htm
Lavender
(Genus: Lavandula)
Completed by Debbie Notaro, Master Gardener, WS Ver., Sept. 2003
HISTORY AND FOLKLORE:
What’s in a name? Let me tell you! There is no shortage of
information on Lavender. So great is its use, either in product names,
in the perfuming industries or flowers that if you type the word
lavender on any search engine you will find approximately 80,000
sights using the word. Just in comparison, type in Thyme, Sage,
Oregano, Jasmine or Basil and they will trail far behind. Only roses
trump lavender sources on the internet.
We derive the modern name from the Latin: lavare; to wash or bathe
and livendula; livid or bluish, and officinalis; medicinal, hence, the
binominal nomenclature, Lavandula officinalis.
Lavender has been in recorded history for over 2500 years and
therefore is rich in history, folklore and superstition …so let’s start at
the beginning.
The story of how lavender was to have acquired its scent goes
something like this: Adam and Eve were said to have taken lavender
from the Garden of Eden. At that time it was without a scent. Legend
has it that it remained that way until one day Mary laid the clothes of
baby Jesus on one of the bushes to dry. Miraculously, when she
removed the garments lavender is said to have been left with its
intoxicating scent. I am not sure if this story is true, but I thought it
was a nice story and a nice way to begin to tell you about the history
and folklore of this herb.
It is in Mesopotamia, the current country of Iraq, where it is said
civilization itself began, that Lavender is believed to be native. The
Arabians were the first to domesticate it. History shows that lavender
was thought to have been introduced to France through the Greek
Islands of Hyeres sometime around 600AD and to England and the
United States sometime between 16th and 17th
centuries. A strict sectof Shakers introduced lavender to the US and Canada. They
developed herb farms upon their arrival from England, and were the
first to grow it commercially.
In antiquity, herbs in general were highly sought after mostly for their
medicinal uses. Usually the power held by those who claimed to have
the knowledge of their magical healing effects was very great. Many
herbalists of old were connected with the spiritual world, both of a
deity of the time and the superstitious, which sometimes lead to
witchcraft and sorcery.
Lavender is referred to as the “good witches” herb, as it was useful in
averting the “evil eye”. It is claimed to make ‘the evil spirits quake at
the scent of it’. Christians believed that if you stuffed keyholes with
lavender it would keep ghosts from entering your home.
Plant remedies represent the most continuous form of treatment for
human and animal medical needs. Folk medicine, Holistic or the
household use of simple herbal remedies is based on word of mouth
tradition that is probably from as far back as prehistoric time. In fact,
very early trade routes to the Middle and Far East were established in
great part for traders and explorers in search of herbs and spices.
The Egyptians and Phoenicians used the herb in their mummification
practices. They used the oils to preserve the skin and intestines and
the flower for masking the odor of decay. The Egyptians and Chinese
were among the first to invent the still and perfected the technique of
distilling the essential oils.
From the time of ancient Greeks and Romans until about the twentieth
century, it was widely used to fend away or cure a huge variety of
ailments… In 60AD the Greeks harvested Lavandula stoechas to be
used as a laxative and stimulant suitable for chest complaints.
Romans treated upset stomachs, kidney disorders, dropsy, dressed
wounds, jaundice, and insect bites with it. The Greeks and Romans
began the practice of scenting their baths and soaps with lavender.
For centuries, lavender was used as a ‘strewing herb’ as it was tossed
onto floors of castles and hospitals for its use as a deodorizer and
disinfectant. It was placed between clothes and linens as a fragrant
repellent of moths and mosquitoes.
Other uses in later centuries were for headaches, hysteria, nervous
palpitations, hoarseness, palsy, toothaches, sore joints, colic as well as
coughs. Hildegard of Bingen, was a German nun, who lived from
1098-1179, had this remedy for migraines: “Lavender water a
concoction of vodka, gin or brandy mixed with lavender works
wonders.” … Well, I am not sure about the lavender, but if you had
enough of the other ingredients I’m pretty sure they would take care
of just about any headache!
During 1630 the Great Plague swept through Toulouse, France. Four
thieves ransacked the city without contracting the disease; when
finally caught, a judge decided to commute their death sentences, if
they revealed the secret ingredients to the mysterious decoction that
gave them immunity from the disease. The formula now known as the
“The 4 Thieves Vinegar” was a combination of thyme, lavender,
rosemary and sage steeped in vinegar. One hundred years later the
disease struck again in Marseilles. Herbalists then added garlic as the
fifth ingredient. In the 19th century a French distiller of vinegar
patented the formula and marketed this elixir to nuns, priests and
doctors. “Drink some on an empty stomach in the morning, rub your
temples with it and go out in tranquility to visit the sick.”
By the 20 the century scientists favored the idea of the chemistry of
herbs and began the process of refining crude decoctions into pure
chemical molecules. The decoctions of the past eras have led us right
up to the doorstep of the incredible strides of the last 25 years or so of
genetic engineering.
For most of the 20 century lavender lost its
place in the healing world, but continued to keep its stature and gain
importance as a main ingredient in the perfume, craft, potpourri and
the aroma therapy industries… This leads us right to romance…
It is said that Cleopatra used ‘this overwhelming and bewitching scent
to seduce Julius Ceaser and Mark Antony’. Now, I know that if you are
a serious history buff you are asking yourself, if the scent was given to
the plant at the time of Jesus, how could she have used it? Well, that
is why they call it folklore! Roman superstition suggests that the asp
made his nest in lavender bushes…Only those who knew how to avoid
the asp’s venomous strike could harvest the plant. It was widely
reported the asp that killed Cleopatra was actually found under one of
her lavender plants. Crafty growers at the time used this ‘superstition’
to mystify the herb and it only served to drive up the price!
ccmg.ucdavis.edu/Lavender.pdf
THE SCENT OF LAVENDER
By the early 19th century doctors would use lavender to treat loss of
memory, dimness of sight, melancholy, swooning fits, acne and
barrenness in women. The treating of barren women with this herb
makes my next ditty rather interesting… It is a fact that your sense of
smell is 10,000 times greater than the sense of taste. It is the only
one of the senses that has an unblocked pathway to the emotional
center of the brain, completely bypassing the intellect. Here’s the best
part…Lavender is currently being studied in its uses for impotence.
The scents of pumpkin pie and lavender rank the highest in what men
find most arousing. Need I go further on how it helped in the
barrenness problem … No wonder the perfume industry is so popular!
In the area of romance lavender has enjoyed a rich past. In the
Middle Ages it was considered a great aphrodisiac and to the contrary;
“A sprinkle of lavender onto the head of a loved one, would keep the
wearer chaste.” Of course, this was such a smart herb that if you
thought it, it could have the opposite effect. “Under the bed of
newlyweds, it would ensure passion”.
Lavender was widely used as a natural antiseptic and deodorizer. Its
pleasant aroma was used to mask body odor, therefore, women would
tie small bunches of it to their under garments. It was very popular
with ladies during the Victorian era to hold “tussie-mussies” under
their noses as they walk down the streets. It helped to keep away the
awful orders of open sewage and animal waste so common to the day.
Victorians said the use of lavender in a bouquet would symbolize
devotion, luck and trust. Many communities have discouraged the use
of throwing rice after a wedding ceremony and have taken up tossing
bird seed, not very romantic. Recently some have begun tossing
lavender buds instead…very romantic, and if we consider the Victorian
meaning a very nice sentiment.
Royals have had a long history of using the herb for their own
indulgences. Queen Elizabeth I of England required lavender flowers
available every day of the year, an incredible feat for the royal
gardener of the era. Considering they had no grow lights, etc…and the
climate in England was not helpful! Queen Victoria’s love of lavender
made it a very popular scent and then years later it was considered
“an olde ladies scent” and fell out of fashion.
ccmg.ucdavis.edu/Lavender.pdf
Edible Uses
Edible Uses: Condiment; Tea.
Leaves, petals and flowering tips - raw. Used as a condiment in salads, soups, stews etc[2, 15, 183]. They provide a very aromatic flavour[7] and are too strong to be used in any quantity[K]. The fresh or dried flowers are used as a tea[183]. The fresh flowers are also crystallized or added to jams, ice-creams, vinegars etc as a flavouring[238]. An essential oil from the flowers is used as a food flavouring[183].
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Lavandula+angustifolia
Medicinal Uses
Antihalitosis; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Aromatherapy; Aromatic; Carminative; Cholagogue; Diuretic; Nervine; Sedative; Stimulant; Stomachic; Tonic.
Lavender is a commonly used household herb, though it is better known for its sweet-scented aroma than for its
medicinal qualities[254]. However, it is an important relaxing herb, having a soothing and relaxing affect upon the nervous system[254]. The flowering spikes can be dried and used internally in a tincture, though the extracted essential oil is more commonly used. The essential oil is much more gentle in its action than most other essential oils and can be safely applied direct to the skin as an antiseptic to help heal wounds, burns etc[254]. An essential oil obtained from the flowers is antihalitosis, powerfully antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic, nervine, sedative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic[4, 7, 9, 21, 165, 238]. It is not often used internally, though it is a useful carminative and nervine[4]. It is mainly used externally where it is an excellent restorative and tonic - when rubbed into the temples, for example, it can cure a nervous headache, and it is a delightful addition to the bath-water[4]. Its powerful antiseptic properties are able to kill many of the common bacteria such as typhoid, diphtheria, streptococcus and Pneumococcus, as well as being a powerful antidote to some snake venoms[244]. It is very useful in the treatment of burns, sunburn, scalds, bites, vaginal discharge, anal fissure etc, where it also soothes the affected part of the body and can prevent the formation of permanent scar tissue[4, 238]. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Immune system'[210].
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Lavandula+angustifolia
Other Uses
Essential; Hedge; Incense; Pot-pourri; Repellent.
The essential oil that is obtained from the flowers is exquisitely scented and has a very wide range of applications, both in the home and commercially. It is commonly used in soap making, in making high quality perfumes (it is also used in 'Eau de Cologne'), it is also used as a detergent and cleaning agent, a food flavouring etc[21, 46, 57, 171, 238] and as an insect repellent[201]. When growing the plant for its essential oil content, it is best to harvest the flowering stems as soon as the flowers have faded[245]. Yields of 0.8 - 1% of the oil are obtained[7]. The aromatic leaves and flowers are used in pot-pourri[238] and as an insect repellent in the linen cupboard etc[14, 18, 20]. They have been used in the past as a strewing herb in order to impart a sweet smell to rooms and to deter insects[244]. The leaves are also added to bath water for their fragrance and therapeutic properties[244]. They are also said to repel mice[20]. The flowering stems, once the flowers have been removed for use in pot-pourri etc, can be tied in small bundles and burnt as incense sticks[245]. Lavender can be grown as a low hedge, responding well to trimming[29]. There are several varieties, such as 'Hidcote Variety', 'Loddon Pink' and 'Folgate Blue' that are suitable for using as dwarf hedges 30 - 50cm tall[245].
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Lavandula+angustifolia
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Lavandula+angustifolia
Lavender was used as an antiseptic in ancient Arabian, Greek, and Roman medicines. Its genus name comes from the Latin lavare, to wash, probably referring to its use as a bath additive for the purification of body and spirit. It was also used as a bactericide to disinfect hospitals and sick rooms in ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome. The ancient Greeks called the plant nardus and later the Romans called it asarum. In the time of Pliny the Elder (ca. 23–79 B.C.E.), the blossoms sold for 100 Roman denarii per pound (Bown, 1995; Grieve, 1979; Savinelli, 1993). Knowledge of its healing abilities spread to India and then to Tibet. In the book Makhzan-El-Adwiya, it is called the broom of the brain, because it is reputed to sweep away all kafa impurities (Nadkarni, 1976). The Gyu-zhi, or Four Tantras, by Chandranandana is the earliest Indian medical text to be translated into Tibetan (eighth century B.C.E.). In it, lavender (Pri-yangku in Tibetan) is included in psychiatric formulas, still used today in Tibetan Buddhist medicine, for treating insanity and psychoses, in an edible ointment or medicine butter dosage form. (Clifford, 1984). The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia (AP) lists Lavandula officinalis, along with a related Indian species, L. burmani, and specifically indicates its use for depressive states associated with digestive dysfunction. The AP reports its actions as carminative, antispasmodic, antidepressant, sedative, and antirheumatic; oil is a rubefacient (Karnick, 1994).
In Germany, lavender is licensed as a standard medicinal tea for sleep disorders and nervous stomach. Lavender flower and extract are also used in sedative and cholagogue medical preparations. In Germany and the United States, the aqueous infusion is used in balneotherapy and the essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Additionally, lavender flower is often used in the United States as a component of dietary supplement products, mainly in aqueous infusions. Lavender oil is also official in the United States National Formulary (Leung and Foster, 1996; NF, 1985; Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).
Modern clinical studies have investigated the neurophysical effects of its essential oil (Tasev et al, 1969), its choleretic and cholagogic actions (Gruncharov, 1973), its use as a bath additive for perineal discomfort and repair following childbirth (Dale and Cornwell, 1994; Cornwell and Dale, 1995), and its use as an alternative to tamoxifen (Ziegler, 1996).
The approved modern therapeutic applications for lavender are supportable based on its use in well established systems of traditional medicine, on phytochemical investigations, and on its documented pharmacological actions reported in in vitro studies and in vivo experiments in animals.
German pharmacopeial grade lavender flower must contain not less than 1.3% volatile oil and pass a botanical identity test determined by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). French pharmacopeial grade lavender flower must contain not less than 0.8% volatile oil. German pharmacopeial grade lavender oil must contain not less than 35.0% ester, calculated as linalyl acetate, and must also pass a number of purity tests including detection of foreign esters. French pharmacopeial grade lavender oil must contain 25–38% linalool, 25–45% linalyl acetate, 0.1–0.5% limonene, 0.3–1.5% 1,8-cineole, 0.2–0.5% camphor, and 0.3–1.0% a-terpineol (DAB 1997; DAC, 1986; Ph.Fr.X., 1990; Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).
http://www.herbalgram.org/iherb/expandedcommissione/he056.asp
Description
Lavender flower consists of the dried flower of Lavandula angustifolia Miller [Fam. Lamiaceae], gathered shortly before fully unfolding, and its preparations in effective dosage. The preparation contains at least 1.5% (v/w) essential oil with linalyl acetate, linalool, camphor, b-ocimene, and 1,8-cineole as its main components. Furthermore, the preparation contains about 12% tannins unique to the Lamiaceae.
Note: In U.S. commerce, lavandin (L. xintermedia) is often interchanged with L. angustifolia (Tucker, 1999). However, the official species approved for medicinal use by the Commission E is L. angustifolia.
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Lavender flower contains 1.5–3% volatile oil, of which 25–55% is linalyl acetate, 20–38% linalool, 4–10% cis-b-ocimene, 2–6% trans-b-ocimene, 2–6% 1-terpinen-4-ol, <2% 3-octanone, 0.3–1.5% 1,8-cineole, 0.3–1% a-terpineol, 0.2–0.5% camphor, and 0.1–0.5% limonene; tannins (5–10%); coumarins; flavonoids (luteolin); phytosterols; and triterpenes (Bruneton, 1995; Leung and Foster, 1996; Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).
The Commission E reported sedative and antiflatulent activity.
Lavender oil exhibited central nervous system-depressive activities on experimental animals (Leung and Foster, 1996).
http://www.herbalgram.org/iherb/expandedcommissione/he056.asp
Uses
The Commission E approved the internal use of lavender for restlessness or insomnia and nervous stomach irritations, Roehmheld's syndrome, meteorism, and nervous intestinal discomfort. For balneotherapy: Treatment of functional circulatory disorders.
The German Standard License for lavender tea lists it for restlessness, sleeplessness, lack of appetite, nervous irritable stomach, meteorism, and nervous disorders of the intestines (Wichtl and Bisset, 1994). Lavender preparations are traditionally used to treat symptoms of neurotonic disorders, especially minor sleeplessness (Bruneton, 1995).
Lavender oil is produced by steam distillation of the freshly cut flowering tops and stalks of the shrub.
The typical constituents of lavender oil usually fall into the following range:
Linalool 29 - 46%
Linalyl Acetate 36 - 51%
1,8-Cineol 0.1 - 2.2%
Caryophyllene 2.5 - 7.6%
Terpinen-4-ol 2.7 - 6.9%
Ocimenes 2.5 - 10.8%
Lavandulyl Acetate 3.4 - 6.2%
(Aqua Oleum, 1993)
The content of linalyl acetate increases with altitude at which the plants are grown.
Production yield for lavender oil is 1.4 - 1.6% of fresh plant material, depending on production method and origin, and for lavandin oil 1 - 2.5%.
Generally, wild-growing, high altitude lavender plants produce the finest, most expensive quality oil, this is largely due to the fact that the flowering tops of these plants cannot be harvested by machine.
(iii) Current production and yields
The yield of oil varies considerably from season to season, as the age of the bushes and weather affect both the quality and quantity of the oil produced. Approximately 50 kg of fresh flowers with 15 cm stalks will yield about 30g of oil. One hectare of lavender in its prime could yield in a favorable year 35 - 45 kg oil, but an average of 11 kg would be a reliable estimate (ADAS, 1980).
Propagation is undertaken by a selection of young shoots about 15 cm long from healthy plants in early spring. In commercial practice, bushes are seldom retained after the fifth year, and to maintain a supply, some planting must be done each year.
(iv) Constraints on production
High quality lavender oil is obtained from plants grown at medium altitude and Mediterranean temperatures. Lavandin oil can be grown much more widely, even in the UK (as English lavender), but is of lower quality.
(v) Markets and market potential
Main applications of lavender oil is for perfumes, after-shaves and fragrances for cosmetics and toiletries.
Lavandin oil is more likely to be used where lower cost ‘rougher’ fragrances are required, for example in soaps, detergents and household products, also used as a flavouring agent in food and drinks.
Spike lavender oil can be used in the production of fine varnishes and lavenders. (Lawless, 1995)
http://www.ienica.net/crops/lavender.htm
Lavender absolute is a dark, green, viscous liquid of very rich, sweet-herbaceous,
somewhat floral odor; in dilution it bears a close resemblance to the odor of
the flowering shrub. Its woody herbaceous undertone and coumarin-like sweetness
duplicate the odor of the botanical material far better than does the essential
oil. The absolute is sweeter but less floral than the essential oil, and the
two materials can form a very pleasant combination. However one cannot replace
the other in compounding.