Comparative physicochemical and histo-anatomical study of vague traditional and magical herb Lavandula stoechas L. with Lavandula officinalis Chaix.

723-730Lavandula stoechas L. (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant of traditional Unani, Iranian and Tunisian systems of medicine. It has a unique attribute to expel out and remove all impurities and obstructions and reinvigorate the brain power, honored as broom of brain in classical Unani literatures. To establish clear identification between L. stoechas (LS) and L. officinalis (LO) standard operating parameters, TLC fingerprinting and physicochemical and histo-anatomical studies were done. LS exhibited significantly higher physical values for their standardization and quality parameters with respect to LO. Histoanatomical disquisition and chemo-microscopic studies of the drug revealed that presence of substantial and marked diagnostic feature to LS having large bract, brown colored flexible peduncle, presence of exorbitant number of uniseriate and multi seriate covering and uniseriate glandular trichomes leading to soft stem and peduncle. It has distinguished and well-developed phloem, centrally filled with parenchymatous cells, with camphoric stench along with bitter in taste while LO has lesser hairs, hard stem and peduncle, greenish color, presence of centrally hollow pith, indiscriminate bract, and flowers are without stalks with pleasant aroma. Seeds of LS are yellowish brown, frivolous weight and very small in size while LO have blackish seeds and are comparatively larger in size and weight