Salvia rosmarinus, synonym Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and purple or sometimes white, pink, or blue flowers. It is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. The species is native to the Mediterranean region. It has numerous cultivars, and its leaves are commonly used as a flavoring.
Description
Rosemary leaves
S. rosmarinus 'Prostratus'
Cross-section of woody stem of Salvia rosmarinus (MHNT)
Rosemary has a fibrous root system. It forms an aromatic evergreen shrub with leaves similar to Tsuga needles. Forms range from upright to trailing; the upright forms can reach between 1.2–1.8 meters (4–6 ft) tall. The leaves are evergreen,
The plant flowers in spring and summer in temperate climates but may be in constant bloom in warm climates; flowers are white, pink, purple, or deep blue. The branches are dotted with groups of 2 to 3 flowers down their length. Rosemary also tends to flower outside its normal flowering season; it has been known to flower as late as early December and as early as mid-February (in the Northern Hemisphere). The plant can live as long as 35 years.
Salvia jordanii (formerly Rosmarinus eriocalyx) is a closely related species native to Iberia and the Maghreb of Africa.
Similar species
Salvia jordanii (formerly Rosmarinus eriocalyx) is a closely related species native to Iberia and the Maghreb of Africa.
Taxonomy
Rosemary plant
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Rosmarinus officinalis. In 2017, on the basis of molecular phylogenetic evidence, rosemary was reclassified into Salvia, reviving a name first published in 1835 by Fridolin Karl Leopold Spenner, who had transferred the species to the genus Salvia. The epithet officinalis at that time could not be used because the name Salvia officinalis had already been published, so Spenner used the combination Salvia rosmarinus as a replacement name for the replaced synonym Rosmarinus officinalis....
