Lavandula latifolia

Lavandula latifolia, “Spike lavender” or “Broadleaved lavender” in English and “Lavande aspic” in French, belongs to the Lamiaceae botanical family.

It is a shrub growing to 0.4 m. Native to the western Mediterranean, it grows in arid hillsides, especially on limestone.

It is commonly grown for its flowers essential oil, used in perfumery, cosmetics and food flavouring. It yields more essential oil than Lavandula angustifolia but is of inferior quality.

As a drug, the essential oil is abortifacient, antibacterial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative and emmenagogue. It can be used externally to treat wounds, burns, insect stings etc and internally to treat digestive disorders.

The main constituents of the essential oil are linalool (35–51 %), eucalyptol (26–32 %), camphor, α-pinene, α-terpineol and α-bisabolene.

• English name Lavender
• French name Lavande