Moluccella laevis
Encyclopedia
Moluccella laevis is a summer flowering annual, native to Turkey
, Syria
and the Caucasus
. It is cultivated for its spikes of flowers. In the language of flowers
, it represents luck.
The tiny white flowers are surrounded by apple green calyces
which are persistent. The rounded leaves are pale green.
Fast growing, Molucella laevis will reach 1 metre and spread to 30 centimeters with an erect, branching habit.
A member of the mint family
, the blooming stems can be cut and used in fresh or dried flower arrangements. The domestic plant is self seeding, prefers full sun and regular water and are unlikely to do well in hot, humid climates.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. It is cultivated for its spikes of flowers. In the language of flowers
Language of flowers
The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken...
, it represents luck.
The tiny white flowers are surrounded by apple green calyces
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
which are persistent. The rounded leaves are pale green.
Fast growing, Molucella laevis will reach 1 metre and spread to 30 centimeters with an erect, branching habit.
A member of the mint family
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
, the blooming stems can be cut and used in fresh or dried flower arrangements. The domestic plant is self seeding, prefers full sun and regular water and are unlikely to do well in hot, humid climates.