Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 23 (1753).

Derivation: Latin name for the plant; various origins of the word have been suggested.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Perennial shrubs with quadrangular branches becoming terete and woody at the base, glabrous or woolly with branched often stellately branched hairs and more or less sessile glands on or below the inflorescence; leaves sessile to shortly petiolate, opposite, entire and with recoiled margins.

Inflorescence a short dense thyrse often terminal on short lateral branches with sessile part-inflorescences usually reduced to 1 flower, with scale-like bracts; sepals unequally connate, 2-lipped, with a broad dorsal lip minutely trilobed, with the anterior lip deeply 2-lobed; covered with stellately branched hairs and almost sessile glands; corolla 2-lipped with a narrow posterior lip stiffly erect, scarcely 2-lobed, with the anterior lip spathulate, with 2 narrow lateral lobes and a broadly spathulate central one; stamens with the anterior pair fertile, inserted in about the middle of the corolla tube; anthers with 1 terminal fertile cell borne on a curved elongated connective with the second cell reduced to a recurved hook at the attachment to the filament; ovary deeply 4-lobed, with a basal ovule in each locule with a gynobasic style with a 2-fid stigma exserted.

Fruit usually with 4 mericarps each oblong-obovoid, without a distinct inside keel, with the attachment scar broad, circular at the base of inside with smaller protruding circle inside.

Distribution:  Of 3 species from the Mediterranean only R. officinalis is widely cultivated for perfumery, culinary and decorative purposes; 1 species naturalised in Australia.

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available