“Fernleaf lavender”

Or “Lavandula multifida.”
I have a pretty cool photo of a “Wishbone flower” (“Torenia fournieri”), but I have posted a photo of that flower before, http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-06-09
Rather than posting another photo of a previously-posted plant or flower, I decided it would be better to post a photo of something new.

From the Missouri Botanical Garden, “Lavandula multifida” is a deciduous shrub native to southern, central and southwestern Europe and northern Africa. It grows 1–2' in height and 1–2' in "spread."

Suggested use is as an annual or an herb with showy flowers and fragrant leaves. It attracts butterflies and tolerates rabbit, deer, drought and dry soil.

More technically, http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=281617&isprofile=0&gen=lavandula » “Lavandula multifida, commonly called fern leaf lavender, is a highly aromatic, fast-growing, everblooming plant that typically grows to 24" tall on straight stems clad with dissected fern-like gray-green leaves. It is native to the warm climates of the northwestern Mediterranean plus the Canary Islands. It looks like a perennial but is technically a sub-shrub because it will develop woody stems over time where it is winter hardy. Deeply-lobed, lacy, silver-green leaves (to 1.5" long) are usually twice pinnately divided into narrow segments. Blue-violet flowers (to 1/2" long) bloom in dense showy terminal spikes (to 2½" long) atop stems rising above the foliage to 6-18" tall. Flowers bloom throughout the year in warm winter locations. Flowers primarily in summer when plants are grown as annuals.

“Genus name comes from the Latin word ‘lavo’ meaning wash in reference to a former use of the plant as an aromatic wash.

Specific epithet means much divided in reference to the plant’s winged spikes.”

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/taxpage/0/0/79/binomial/Lavandula%20multifida.html

Photo taken at SIUC Plant Biology Greenhouse, http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/facilities/plant-biology-facilities/greenhouse/index.php

1 year ago (“Comfortable contortions”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-02-02
2 years ago (“Liquid and solid water”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-02-02
3 years ago (“Heading away from the sun”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-02-02
4 years ago (“Data Matrix”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-02-02

[ IMG_9595S9x12tmG :: 1/4" :: f/16 :: ISO 200 ]