Reseda odorata
Encyclopedia
Reseda odorata is a species of flowering plant in the reseda family
known by many common names, including garden mignonette and common mignonette. It is probably native to the Mediterranean Basin
, but it can sometimes be found growing in the wild as an introduced species
in many parts of the world. These introductions are often garden escapees; the plant has long been kept as an ornamental plant
for its fragrant flowers, the essential oil
of which has been used in perfume
s. This is an annual herb producing branching erect stems to 80 centimeters in maximum height. The inflorescence
is a spikelike raceme
of many flowers. The fragrant flower has six white to yellowish or greenish petals, the upper ones each divided into three narrow, fingerlike lobes. At the center of the flower are up to about 25 stamen
s tipped with large dangling orange anthers.
Resedaceae
Resedaceae is a family of generally herbaceous dicotyledonous plants comprising some 70 species in six genera:*Caylusea*Ochradenus*Oligomeris*Randonia*Reseda*Sesamoides...
known by many common names, including garden mignonette and common mignonette. It is probably native to the Mediterranean Basin
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
, but it can sometimes be found growing in the wild as an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
in many parts of the world. These introductions are often garden escapees; the plant has long been kept as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
for its fragrant flowers, the essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
of which has been used in perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
s. This is an annual herb producing branching erect stems to 80 centimeters in maximum height. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a spikelike raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of many flowers. The fragrant flower has six white to yellowish or greenish petals, the upper ones each divided into three narrow, fingerlike lobes. At the center of the flower are up to about 25 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s tipped with large dangling orange anthers.