Lovage

Key takeaways

Lovage belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lovage to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lovage from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lovage ( LUV-ij; Levisticum officinale) is a perennial plant, the sole species in the genus Levisticum in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It is native to Afghanistan and Iran. It has been long cultivated in Europe and the leaves are used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern European cuisine. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both of celery and parsley, only more intense and spicier than either. The seeds can be used in the same way as fennel seeds.

Description

Lovage is an erect, herbaceous, perennial plant growing to 2.5 metres (8 ft) tall, with a basal rosette of leaves and leaved stems. The stems and leaves are shiny glabrous green to yellow-green and smell somewhat similar to celery when crushed. The leaflets have a few large triangular to rhomboidal teeth. The larger basal leaves are up to 70 centimetres (28 in) long and trifoliate, while the stem leaves are smaller and less divided, with few leaflets. Produced in umbels at the top of the stems, the flowers are yellow to greenish-yellow, 2–3 mm (1⁄16–1⁄8 in) diameter, produced in globose umbels up to 10–15 cm (4–6 in) diameter; flowering is in late spring. The fruit is a dry two-parted schizocarp 4–7 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) long, maturing in autumn.

Taxonomy Carl Linnaeus used the basionym Ligusticum levisticum in Species Plantarum to refer to lovage. Levisticum officinale was later described by Wilhelm Daniel Joseph Koch and published in 1824.

Etymology

The name lovage is from love-ache, ache being a medieval name for parsley; this is a folk-etymological modification of the older French name levesche, from late Latin levisticum, in turn thought to be a modification of the earlier Latin ligusticum, 'of Liguria' (northwest Italy), where the herb was grown extensively. In modern botanical usage, both Latin forms are now used for different (but closely related) genera, with Levisticum for (culinary) lovage, and Ligusticum for Scots lovage, a similar species from northern Europe, and for related species.

Distribution Levisticum officinale is native to Afghanistan and Iran, but has been introduced to most of Europe, parts of Southeast Asia, and the Americas.

Health concerns Essential oil distilled from lovage root contains furanocoumarins which can lead to photosensitivity in sensitive individuals if ingested as a medicine, or applied to the skin; or if the plant is harvested and contact with the skin occurs.

Uses The leaves can be used in salads, or to make soup or season broths, and the roots can be eaten as a vegetable or grated for use in salads. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both of celery and parsley, only more intense and spicy than either. The seeds can be used as a spice in the same way as fennel seeds. The plant has long been cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern Europe.

In the Netherlands, lovage leaves are traditionally cooked with white asparagus and salt and served with boiled eggs. In Ukraine, lovage (in Ukrainian: любисток, romanized: liubystok) is considered an aphrodisiac. Traditionally, an infusion prepared from lovage leaves has been used by women for rinsing their hair, in order to attract men with the pleasant spicy smell of the plant. Nowadays, hair conditioners can be bought which contain lovage extract to strengthen the hair. Lovage leaves and roots are also used in salads and as a spice in Ukraine. In Romania, the leaves are a preferred seasoning for the various local broths and are just as popular, in this respect, as parsley or dill. Furthermore, the dried foliage and seeds are added to pickled cabbage and cucumbers both to aid in their preservation and to add flavour to them. In the United Kingdom, an alcoholic lovage cordial is traditionally added to brandy as a winter drink and is or was popular in Cornwall where it was originally added to slightly spoiled smuggled brandy to hide the taste of salt. The roots, which contain a heavy volatile oil, are used as a mild aquaretic.

In culture A recommendation to cultivate lovage on the agricultural properties of Charlemagne appears in chapter 70 of Capitulare de villis, a text written around 800 AD about the maintenance of royal estates.

References

External links Media related to Levisticum officinale at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lovage

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lovage claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lovage before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lovage ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lovage

In research: Lovage appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lovage in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lovage is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Apioideae, Edible Apiaceae, Medicinal plants, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lovage outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Lovage in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lovage means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lovage out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lovage in simple terms?

Lovage ( LUV-ij; Levisticum officinale) is a perennial plant, the sole species in the genus Levisticum in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It is native to Afghanistan and Iran.

Why does Lovage matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lovage?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lovage.