The term Salvia derives from the Latin ‘salus’ or ‘salveo’ that means ‘to be well/healthy’ or ‘to save’; certainly because of the medicinal virtues that have been recognised in it since antiquity. The specific name Rosmarinus derives its name from the combination of the two Latin words ‘ros’ (dew) and ‘marinus’ (of the sea), a name that came about in order to describe the delicate bluish hue of the flowers, comparing it to the rippling of sea waves.
Rosemary is a shrubby plant that can reach heights of 50 to 300 cm. The roots are deep, fibrous and strong, anchoring; it has light brown woody stems, prostrate ascending or erect, much branched, the young hairy grey-green branches are quadrangular. The leaves, persistent and leathery, are 2-3 cm long and 1-3 mm wide, sessile, opposite, linear-lanceolate, densely clustered on the twigs; shiny dark green on the upper side and whitish on the lower side due to the presence of white hairs; their margins are slightly revolute; rich in oil glands. The hermaphrodite flowers are sessile and small, gathered in short clusters in the axil of overlapping flowering leaves, forming long elongated, bracted and leafy spikes, flowering from March to October, in the most sheltered positions intermittently all year round.
Cultivated in allotments and gardens since ancient times, the Greeks and Romans burned it as incense and it was sacred to Aphrodite until it was supplanted by myrtle. It was surrounded by a fantastic aura and believed to possess magical and aphrodisiac powers, being used in a variety of love potions and propitiatory recipes: famous are Caterina Sforza’s ‘Acqua Celeste’ and the ‘Water of the Queen of Hungary’, a rosemary-based liqueur invented by Isabella of Hungary. Rosemary thus appears in common use with the dual contribution of its delicate aroma and its supposed power to ward off bad luck, symbolising also immortality and marital fidelity.
In cooking, Rosemary is added in the preparation of meat, fish and game dishes. It is an excellent flavouring for risottos, vegetable soups, certain types of bread and focaccia. It is also used for vinegars and aromatic oils. In medicine, the essential oil (produced from the fresh flowering tops) is used for rheumatic and arthritic pains. The shampoo strengthens dark hair colour. In the home it is used to make anti-moth fragrance pads. Or the fresh branches are hung to freshen the air.
Rosemary water for hair care