French lavender

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• French lavender
• toothed lavender

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Stoechas dentata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further organized into the order Lamiales and the family Lamiaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Lavandula.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily found across various regions of Southwestern Europe. Within this area, its distribution includes the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain. Moving toward Southeastern Europe, the species can also be located in Bulgaria. Furthermore, it is commonly found throughout the landscape of Greece. Finally, its geographical range extends into the territory of Italy.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lavandula dentata is characterized by its preference for lowland environments, where it thrives within a specific altitudinal gradient. This species is typically found at elevations ranging from 0 m to a maximum of 700 m AMSL, occupying lower-altitude landscapes that shape its growth patterns and distribution.

Elevational range max:

700 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Lavandula dentata is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a chamaephyte, its growth habit is defined by stems that remain close to the ground, with the buds located at or just above the soil surface. This species maintains an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that its foliage remains functional and present throughout the year rather than shedding all its leaves seasonally.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

chamaephyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lavandula dentata is characterized by a woody, self-supporting growth habit, functioning as both a shrub and a subshrub. It is a terrestrial plant that grows independently, without acting as a parasite or an epiphyte. The plant reaches a height ranging from a minimum of 0.3 m to a maximum of 1 m. As a self-supporting species, it does not exhibit climber or liana characteristics, maintaining a stable, upright structure.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Growth form :

subshrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lavandula dentata is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and carbon fixation efficiency. The plant's vegetative morphology is defined by linear leaf forms that exhibit significant dimensional variability; specifically, the leaves possess a length ranging from a minimum of 1 cm to a maximum of 4.5 cm, while the width fluctuates between a minimum of 0.3 cm and a maximum of 1 cm. Furthermore, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on soil nutrient availability for its nitrogen requirements rather than symbiotic atmospheric fixation.

Leaf form :

linear

Leaf length max:

4.5 cm

Leaf length min:

1 cm

Leaf width max:

1 cm

Leaf width min:

0.3 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lavandula dentata is a primarily sexual process, as asexual reproduction is absent in this species. The flowering cycle is characterized by a significant duration, with the blooming period typically starting in September and concluding in June. During this time, the plant produces distinctive violet-colored flowers, which reach a maximum length of 0.7 cm. These flowers rely on biotic pollination, specifically utilizing an insect pollination syndrome to facilitate fertilization. Following successful pollination, the plant develops dry, brown fruits that measure approximately 0.2 cm in mean length, with a maximum length of 0.15 cm and a maximum width of 0.08 cm. The resulting seeds are very fine, possessing a mean mass of 0.000275 g, with values ranging from a minimum of 0.0002 g to a maximum of 0.00031 g. Dispersal of these seeds is categorized as unspecialized, meaning the plant does not rely on a highly specific mechanism for moving its offspring to new locations.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Flower colour :

violet

Flower length max:

0.7 cm

Flowering time :

Sep

Flowering time :

Jun

Fruit colour :

brown

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

0.15 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.2 cm

Fruit width max:

0.08 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

0.00031 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000275 g

Seed mass min:

2e-04 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Lavandula dentata has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Drug and chemical toxicology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Lavandula dentata has 13 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 1.8-cineole, Borneol, CARVEOL, Camphene hydrate, D-Limonene.

1.8-cineole

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Borneol

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

CARVEOL

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Camphene hydrate

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

D-Limonene

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Eucalyptol

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Hydroxycinnamic Acids

1. Electrophoresis

Isobornyl acetate

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Linalool

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Myrtenol

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Lavandula dentata has 8 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Analgesic, Antibacterial, Anticoagulant.

Antimicrobial

1. Drug and chemical toxicology
2. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Antioxidant

1. Drug and chemical toxicology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Analgesic

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Antibacterial

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticoagulant

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Antifungal

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiplasmodial

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Neuroprotective

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Lavandula dentata has 14 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, Dermatitis, Epilepsy, Neuroinflammation, Oxidative Stress.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations