Variety traits

Inflorescence — Spanish Lavender

Lavandula stoechas L.

The Spanish lavender inflorescence is a compact spike crowned by a tuft of brightly colored bracts, known as a “crest” or “rabbit ears.” This is a key morphological trait of the species, used to evaluate varietal characteristics and determine harvest timing for raw materials.

In the reference 64 varieties crop French lavender, where this is mentioned in the description.

The Spanish lavender inflorescence forms at the apex of the floral stem as a dense spike. The length of the spike portion, excluding the bracts, ranges from 2 to 5 cm, while the crowning “crest” of brightly colored leaves reaches a length of 1.2–2.5 cm. When evaluating the biometric parameters of a variety, the diameter of the inflorescence is also considered.

The morphological indicators of the inflorescence determine the plant's ornamental value and its attractiveness to pollinators. In agricultural practice, the flowering stage at which approximately 50% of the florets are open is used to assess physiological status, while the balsamic phase with 70% of opened florets is optimal for harvesting raw materials for essential oil production.

General information about the subject — on the page Inflorescence.

Sources8

Varieties of French lavender mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.