Lavandula
genus of plants
Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native to regions of the Iberian Peninsula and Mediterranean coastline (including the Adriatic coast and coastal North Africa), the Middle East, extending to the Indian subcontinent.
Many members of the genus are cultivated extensively in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for use as culinary herbs, and commercially for the extraction of essential oils. Lavender is used in traditional medicine and as an ingredient in cosmetics.
Description
The genus includes annual or short-lived herbaceous perennial plants and shrub-like perennials, subshrubs or small shrubs.
Leaf shape is diverse across the genus. They are simple in some commonly cultivated species; in other species, they are pinnately toothed, or pinnate, sometimes multiple pinnate and dissected. In most species, the leaves are covered in fine hairs or indumentum, which normally contain essential oils.
Flowers are contained in whorls, held on spikes rising above the foliage, with the spikes being branched in some species. Some species produce colored bracts at the tips of the inflorescences.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Lavandula” is genus of plants. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lavandula, genus and plants, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “genus of plants” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q171892. The Library of Congress control number is sh85075112. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lavandula”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lavandula primary sources, Lavandula archive and Lavandula research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lavandula”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lavandula” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.