Dictamnus
(from Diktamnos, the old Greek name used by Hippocrates). Dittany, or Fraxinella. ORD. Rutaceae. A strong-smelling herb. Flowers white or rosy, showy. Leaves alternate, impari-pinnate, exstipulate, with four to six pairs of serrulate leaflets, full of pellucid dots. Stems glandular at the apex. It is of easy culture in ordinary garden soil, preferring, however, a rather dry position. Propagated by divisions; or by seed, which should be sown when secured.
D. albus (white).* Fraxinella. fl., racemes long, terminal. May June. l. pinnate; leaflets four to five pairs, cordate at the base, acute at the apex, finely serrulated. h. 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. South Europe, 1596. The whole plant, especially when gently rubbed, emits an odour like that of lemon-peel; but, when bruised, it has something of a balsamic scent. Eastern Europe, Asia. SYN D. Fraxinella. There are varieties with white, and also with pale purple, flowers.
D. Fraxinella (Fraxinella). A synonym of D. albus.