ABSTRACT

The term lavender is considered to come from the Latin ‘lavando’ part of the verb ‘lavare’ to bathe, the Romans having used many plants to perfume their baths. The Greeks and Romans also referred to lavender as nard, from the Latin Nardus Italica, after the Syrian town Naarda. This was the beginning of much confusion as to which plant was being referred to in classical and medieval times. Lavandula is obvious, however nard and spike can refer to spike lavender or to spikenard (a plant imported from India during the Middle Ages and equally popular then for its aromatic properties). Despite much learned investigation into the identification of lavender in the writings of classical authors; it has remained impossible to unquestionably identify L. vera or L. spica. L. stoechas is, however, distinctly referred to by both Dioscorides and Pliny (Gingins-Lassaraz 1826 in Fluckiger and Hanbury).