''Cedronella'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the tribe Mentheae of the family Lamiaceae, comprising a single species, ''Cedronella canariensis'', native to the Canary Islands, the

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, and Madeira. It is also naturalized in various places (

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California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

). Common names include Canary Islands-balm, Canary balm, and Balm-of-Gilead. It is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

herbaceous plant growing to 1–1.5 m tall. The distinctive feature of these plants is the compound leaves consisting of 3 leaflets, unusual in the Lamiaceae, which usually have simple leaves. The leafy stems terminate in dense, short spikes of flowers with tubular 2-lipped white or pink

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s. The genus name is a diminutive of ''

Cedrus ''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae (subfamily Abietoideae). They are native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitudes of 1,500 ...

'', though the only connection between this herb and the large conifers of ''Cedrus'' is a vaguely similar

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ous scent of the foliage.

Cultivation

Grown outdoors in mild climates, these perennials need protection in a sunny position in the herb garden and moist, well-drained soil. In cool climates they can be grown in a sunny conservatory. Water freely in the growing season. Propagate from seed or from cuttings.

References

*David Bramwell and Zoë Bramwell. ''Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands''. Editorial Rueda,

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

, España. 2001. *J. R. Press and M. J. Short. ''Flora of Madeira''.

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

, UK. 1994.

External links

Genera of Lamiaceae tribe Mentheae
on www.ars-grin.gov Lamiaceae Monotypic Lamiaceae genera Endemic flora of Macaronesia Flora of the Canary Islands Flora of Madeira {{Lamiaceae-stub