Lavandula multifida vs. L. pinnata

> John or Olivier,
> Thanks for the info, could either of you help me out
> with easy ways to distinguish between L. pinnata and
> L. multifida, which I always seem to have a hard time
> remembering which is which.  I think it is L. pinnata
> var. buchii which is one of my favorite almost
> everblooming lavenders, unfortunately not fragrant as
> most, but a great color accent.  Or is it L. multifida
> that I am thinking of?  Don't they both have similar
> foliage and branched deep purple flower spikes?


David,

Not surprising that you are confused.  You are not the only one.  The
nursery industry in California doesn't have a clue on this one.

First, Lavandula multifida, L. pinnata, and L. buchii are three different
species.  In recent years, I have bought about everything offered in the
trade in this state under these names, trying to sort it out, and have
received the same species from the same nursery under different names as
well as different species under the same name.

Twenty-five years ago we had all three species at the Huntington Botanical
Gardens (at the time, L. buchii was classified as a variety of L. pinnata).
I shared cuttings of all three with various wholesale nurseries and
collectors, and authentic plants of each were sold at Huntington plant
sales.  Apparently, along the way some of the cuttings must have been lost
or the name tags of some of the survivors were mixed up (L. pinnata and L.
buchii--both from the Canary Islands--are much more frost-tender than L.
multifida--which is from southern Europe and North Africa).  Lately,
everything I have seen labeled "L. pinnata var. buchii" in nurseries
is L. multifida.  L. multifida is also sold occasionally as "Lavandula
'California'" or "California Lavender" as well as under its own name.  For
instance, the lavender offered by Monterey Bay Nursery as "Lavandula pinnata
buchii" and illustrated on their web site is actually Lavandula multifida:

http://montereybaynsy.com/L/lavandula%20pinnata%20buchii1.jpg

http://montereybaynsy.com/L/lavandula%20pinnata%20buchii2.jpg

as is this one illustrated on the Medit-Plants Support site:

http://www.support.net/Medit-Plants/photos/Lavandula.pinnata.gif


A search of the web produces a nightmare of confusion.  For instance, one
educational site shows Lavandula dentata but labels it L. multifida:

Lavandula dentata:

http://www.cobleskill.edu/courses/orht321/Lavandula%20multifida%2001001.jpg


Here are some authentic examples of L. multifida:

http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/BotanicalGarden/PICTs/lace-lavender.jpeg

http://www.dipbot.unict.it/fito_new/territori/foto/lavandula_multifida.jpg

http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/aart/flora/Labiatae/Lavandula/L.multifida/1.f
lower.jpeg

http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/aart/flora/Labiatae/Lavandula/Lavandula.html


There are a couple of authentic illustrations of Lavandula pinnata on the
web, but the scale is so small that they are of little value for close
comparison:

http://www.headfamily.freeserve.co.uk/lavender/card-4.html

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.bastin.nl/Lav.pinn.Lanzarote.JPG&;
imgrefurl=http://www.bastin.nl/Lavandula.html&h=290&w=442&prev=/images%3Fq%3
DLavandula%2Bpinnata%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

The main distinguishing characters between Lavandula multifida are:

The foliage of L. multifida is gray-green with sparse hairs and mostly
bipinnate.  That of L. pinnata is heavily gray-felted and only pinnate; the
segments are broader and their tips may be bifid or even trifidly lobed, but
they are very seldom branched below the tip.

The flowers of L. multifida are arranged in rows that spiral around the
branched spikes.  Those of L. pinnata are arranged more-or-less uniformly
around the spikes and do not form clear rows that spiral upward.

There are photographs of leaves and spikes of L. buchii, L. buchii var.
gracile, and L. multifida on page 64 of Virginia McNaughton's  book,
Lavender, the Grower's Guide (Timber Press, 2000).  Unfortunately, she does
not show L. pinnata.

John C. MacGregor, List Owner
Lavandula@yahoogroups.com
South Pasadena, CA 91030  USA
USDA zone 9  Sunset zones 21/23
jonivy@earthlink.net
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