Lavendula stoechas

Lavandula stoechas (French Lavender, Spanish Lavender, Stoechas Lavender, or Topped Lavender) occurs naturally in the Mediterranean region.
==Description==
A perennial shrub, it usually grows to 30–100 cm tall and wide. The leaves are 1–4 cm long, greyish tomentose.
The flowers are pinkish-purple (lavender-coloured), produced on spikes 2–3 cm long at the top of slender leafless stems 10–30 cm long; each flower is subtended by a bract 4–8 mm long. At the top of the spike are a number of much larger, sterile bracts (no flowers between them), 10–50 mm long and bright lavender purple (rarely white).
===Subspecies===
Subspecies in wide cultivation include
*L. stoechas luisieri, which has petals much less interconnected and
*L. stoechas pedunculata, the common type specific plant, once taxonomically considered L. pedunculata.
==Synonyms==
Lavandula officinalis, Lavandula vera, Lavandula spicata, Lavandula stoechas
==Common Names==
English Lavender, Spanish Lavender
Category:Shrubs