Rosemary of commerce
comprises dried leaves of evergreen shrub
of Rosmarinus Officinalis. This is a dense,
evergreen, hardy, perennial, aromatic herb,
90 cm high with small (2-4 cm) pointed, sticky,
hairy leaves. The upper surface of the leaf
is dark green whereas it is white on the lower
side. The leaves are resinous. Branches are
rigid with fissured bark and stem is square,
woody and brown. Pale blue small flowers appear
in cymose inflorescence. It can be grown either
as a field crop or as an indoor plant.
Origin and Distribution
Rosemary is the
native of Mediterranean region and is cultivated
in Europe and California in US. It is also
grown in Algeria, China, Middle East, Morocco,
Russia, Romania, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey,
and to a limited extent in India.
Temperate climate is suitable for the cultivation
of Rosemary. The soil properties influence
the yield and the composition of rosemary
oil.
Uses
Rosemary has wide
range of uses in food processing. Fresh tender
tops are used for garnishing and flavouring
of cold drinks, pickles, soups etc. Dried
and powdered leaves are used as condiment.
In medicine rosemary is credited as carminative,
anti-depressant, anti-spasmodic, anti-microbial,
anti-inflammatory, carcinogen blocker, liver-detoxifier
and anti-rheumatic.
