Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)

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Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Rosemary

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Lamiaceae	Mint family
Genus	Rosmarinus	From Latin ros, “dew,” and marinus, “of the sea”
Species	officinalis	Derives originally from "herb store" or "pharmacy": a plant used medicinally (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)

About plant names...

Rosemary is native to dry scrub and rocky places in the Mediterranean areas of southern Europe to western Asia. It is naturalized in North America, and in some areas, it is an invasive species.

Plants: Erect, rounded evergreen shrub, 24-72" (60-182 cm) high and 24-48" (60-121 cm) around.

Leaves: Linear, opposite, needle-like gray-green leaves are ⅜-1¾" (1-5 cm) × ¹/₃₂-¹/₁₆" (1-2 mm). Leaves are attached directly to the stem (sessile), or on short stems, and fragrant when crushed.

Flowers: Clusters of 5 to 10 two-lipped flowers are blue, pale blue, or sometimes white. Each flower is ⅛-⅞" (5-25 mm) in size. Flowers appear from January to April.

Fruits: Groups of four smooth nutlets about ¹/₁₆" (2 mm) long.

Edibility: Leaves are used as a flavoring in soups, stews, and stuffings.

Medical: Oil extracted from rosemary leaves, or the leaves themselves, are used for blood pressure problems, dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite, and rheumatism. It should not be used during pregnancy, due to possible risk of miscarriage (this warning applies to large doses though). There are many more unproven folk remedies.

Online References:

The Missouri Botanical Garden

Plants for a Future

Cabi.org’s Invasive Species Compendium

References:

Multiple Authors, PDR for Herbal Medicines, Thomson Healthcare Inc., 2007, p. 709