Spec. Plant. Willd. i. 126. Cl. 2. Ord. 1. Diandria Monogynia. Nat. ord. Labiatae. G. 62. Corolla unequal, with the upper lip two-parted. Filaments long, curved, simple, with a tooth. Species 1. R. officinalis.1 Officinal Rosemary. Med. Rot. 3d edit.

329. Sibthorp, Flora Graeca, t.14. Officinal. Rosmarinus, Lond. Rosmarini officinalis cacumina, Edin. Dub. Rosemary tops.

Syn. Romarin (F.), Rosmarin (G., Butch, Dan., Swed.), Romarino (I.), Romero (S), Rosmaninho, Alcerim (Port.), Klil (Arab.), Yong tsao (Chin.).

This plant is a native of the south of Europe, Greece, and Barbary; but has been long cultivated in Britain, where it flowers in April and May. It is an evergreen, erect] very branching shrub, rising about four feet in height; the branches thickly covered with leaves, and the smaller ones four-cornered and downy. The leaves are opposite, almost sessile; more than an inch in length and one sixth of an inch broad; linear, obtuse, entire, with the margin turned back; of a dark green colour, smooth, and shining, on the upper side; woolly, veined, and of a silvery hue, on the under. The flowers, which are placed on little axillary, opposite, leafy branches, are axillary and terminal, erect, on short stalks. The calyx is bell-shaped, bilabiate, villous; the upper lip entire; the under cloven into two pointed segments. The corolla is ringent, downy, pale blue, variegated with purple and white; the tube longer than the calyx, a little compressed; the upper lip erect and bifid; the lower cleft into three segments; the middle one larger, concave, and notched. The stamens are longer than the upper lip, arched, furnished with a tooth above the base; aud supporting an oblong, blue, terminal anther. The style is the length of the stamens, thread-like, arched, and terminated by a simple sharp stigma.

The seeds are four, oblong, and lodged in the bottom of the calyx.

Qualities.-Both the leaves and flowers have a grateful aromatic odour; and a bitterish, warm, pungent taste, depending on a volatile oil, which appears to be combined with camphor: Vide Ol. Rosmarini. Alcohol extracts its virtues completely; but they are only partially given out to water. By distillation with water, its volatile oil is obtained. The leaves afford the greatest quantity; the flowers the smallest.

Medical properties and uses. - Rosemary is stimulant, and, according to some, emmenagogue.2 It has been given in the form of infusion in nervous headache, hysteria, and chlorosis;

2 Bergius, Mat, Med, a Regno Veget. p. 21.

but it is now scarcely ever prescribed, unless as an odorous adjunct to sternutatory powders. The dose in substance may be from grs. x. to Эij.; and from j. to jss. of the infusion.

Officinal preparations. - Oleum Rosmarini, L. E. D. Spiritus Rosmarini, L. E. D.