Contents
What is a lemon verbena plant?
Lemon verbena characteristics (Aloysia citrodora)
Common noun: Lemon verbena, Lemon beebrush, Lemonscented Verbena, Herb Louisa
Scientific noun: Aloysia citrodora Paláu
– Synonyms: Lippia triphylla (L’Hér.) O. Kuntze. = Lippia citrodora Kunth
Family: Verbena Family – Verbenaceae
Habitat: Native from South America, it can be found cultivated in many gardens and orchards, because its lemon-like scented leaves and flowers and because of its medicinal properties.
Description of Lemon Verbena
Scented, deciduous shrub of the Verbena Family – Verbenaceae – up to 2,5 m Erect stems, ligneous above. Lanceolate leaves, till 10 cm, in verticils of 3, petiolated. Flowers gathered in racemes, bell-shaped, purplish outside, more whitish inside. The fruit is a drupe.
A detail of the plant Dibujosparapintar.com |
Native from South America, it can be found cultivated in many gardens and orchards, because its lemon-like scented leaves and flowers and because of its medicinal properties.
Picking-up and storing Lemon beebrush: Flowers will be picked up in summer. It is convenient to pick up the leaves before the plant bloom. Both should be dried in the shade and stored in cloth bags in a fresh and dry place.
Components of Lemon verbena
Essential oil very rich in:
– Citral: antibacterial, antihistaminic, fungicide, expectorant, anticancerous.
– Linalol: antibacterial, antiinflammatory,antiespasmodic, hepatoprotective.
– Camphene: antioxidant, expectorant
– Cineole
– Terpineol: antiasthmatic, antibacterial, antitussive, expectorant
– Caryophyllene: antiinflammatory, antiasthmatic, antibacterial, antitumor
– Limonene: antibacterial, anticancerous, antiespasmodic, expectorant
– Furocumarines
– Verbenone
More information on medicinal plants
