Lovage 439
26.1.2 Botanical characteristics
Lovage (Levisticum officinale W. D. J. Ko c h ) is a dicotyledon belonging to the family
Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) and the order Apiales. The plant has been alternatively
classified as Ligusticum levisticum L., Levisticum persicum Freyn & Bornm.,
Hipposelinum levisticum Britt. and Angelica levisticum Baillon (Rechinger, 1987;
Simon et al., 1984). The name of the genus Ligusticum is said to be derived from
Liguria in Italy, where it once grew in abundance. The plant is diploid, 2n = 22,
robust, glabrous, perennial with a clump-forming reaching 1 m spread. The stems are
stout, furrowed, striate and tubular, which branches and develops over 2–2.5 m tall
every year. The leaves are alternate, 0.5–0.6 m long, dark green, shining, toothed,
petiolate with stipules, radical, hairless, 2–3 pinnate, roughly triangular in outline
and rhombic.
The petiole is hollow and inflated near the base. The grey brown rhizome is
vertical, penetrates the soil up to 0.4–0.5 m in depth, and terminates in a tap root,
which is ringed crosswise. The roots have a thick yellowish-white bark separated
from a brownish-yellow radiate wood by a dark line. Essential oil bearing structures
are visible in the outer regions of the transverse section. The inflorescence is flat,
compound umble with 5–15 axes and 5.0–7.5 cm wide. The bracts are numerous,
linear lanceolate, long acute and deflexed with a scarious margin. The greenish
yellow flowers are small, hermaphrodite and produced in large numbers. The fruit is
flat, 5–7 mm, broadly elliptical and yellowish-brown winged twin achene. The seeds
are fertile with an average germination capacity of 68%. The weight of 1000 seeds is
3.7 g (Tutin, 1968; Rechinger, 1987; Jia, 1989; Hornok, 1992; Evans, 2002).
26.1.3 Trade and commerce
Lovage is known as a small spice crop and it is difficult to obtain accurate or reliable
figures for it. Information about the commercial production of essential oil from
lovage was not available in the surveyed literature but the leaf of lovage as a condiment
is sometimes produced in large commercial quantities. According to Lawrence (1985),
the world production of lovage root and seed oil in 1984 was 500 kg and 300 kg,
respectively. In 1993 the estimated annual world value of lovage essential oil was
approximately £800,000 (Hogg, 2001). Lawrence (1993) noted lovage herb as being
one of the main essential oils to be in short supply in the world market. In 2005,
15 ml, 100 ml and 1 kg of lovage oil are priced at 30, 140 and $900, respectively
(www.rangeproducts.com.au). The most important producers of lovage are Germany,
Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Finland and the USA.
26.2 Chemical composition....................................................................
All parts of the plant contain essential oil. The herb oil (Levistici herba) is a colorless
or very pale yellow and extremely diffusive. Lovage root oil (Levistici radix) is an
amber to olive-brown colored liquid with root-like odor, suggestive of celery, angelica,
liquorice extract, oleoresin and oak moss. The yield and its chemical composition
differ significantly depending on the individual genetic, geographical variability,
plant age, different plant parts and developmental stages, as well as any post-harvest
treatments. The presence and concentration of certain chemical constituents also
fluctuates according to the season, climatic condition and the origin of the plant.