Aloysia citriodora

Name and publication

Aloysia citriodora Palau, Parte práct. Bot. 1: 768 (1784) [published as "citrodora," usually interpreted as a typographical error].

Description

Lemon-verbena leaves are lance-shaped, about 5-7.5 cm long, on a short petiole, toothed at the middle, glabrous (hairless), and densely covered beneath with glandular dots that release an intense lemon-like scent. Leaves curl in upon themselves on drying and often fragment in potpourri.

Nativity and distribution

Aloysia citriodora is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay but widely cultivated throughout the world for its lemon-scented leaves.

Family

Verbenaceae

Synonymy

Aloysia triphylla (L’Hér.) Britton