Reseda is a genus of fragrant herbaceous plants in the family Resedaceae, order Brassicales, comprising annual, biennial, and perennial species. Plants typically reach 40–130 cm in height. The leaves form a basal rosette at ground level and are then arranged spirally up the stem; they may be entire, toothed, or pinnate, and range from 1–15 cm in length. The small flowers (4–6 mm in diameter) are borne on slender spikes and come in shades of white, yellow, orange, or green, with four to six petals. The fruit is a small dry capsule containing several seeds.
The genus is native to Europe, southwest Asia, and North Africa, with a range extending from the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula east to northwest India. Several species have long been cultivated for the intensely sweet fragrance of their flowers. Reseda odorata, known as mignonette, was a Victorian favourite grown in pots and window-boxes to scent city air, and its volatile oil has been used in perfumery and potpourri. The plant also has historical economic importance: yellow dye was extracted from the roots of R. luteola (weld or dyer's rocket) by at least the first millennium BC, predating or rivalling the use of woad and madder; this practice continued until synthetic yellow dyes replaced it at the start of the twentieth century. In Roman times, Reseda was employed medicinally as a sedative and a treatment for bruises. Charles Darwin used R. odorata in his landmark investigations into the effects of cross- and self-fertilisation in plants, documented in The Effects of Cross and Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom (1876).
The Plant List (as of 2014) recognised 41 accepted species.
Etymology
The common name mignonette (applied chiefly to Reseda odorata) is French for "little darling" or "little dainty one," reflecting the plant's delicate, sweet-scented flowers. The genus name Reseda is Latin and was used by Pliny the Elder; it is thought to derive from the Latin resedare ("to calm" or "to heal"), alluding to reputed medicinal properties.
Distribution
Reseda is native to Europe, southwest Asia, and North Africa, ranging from the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula east to northwest India. The genus is centred on the Mediterranean basin and adjacent arid and semi-arid regions.
History
Yellow dye extracted from the roots of Reseda luteola (weld) was one of the earliest plant-based dyes used in Europe and the Near East, with evidence of use by at least the first millennium BC. Its production continued for millennia but declined at the beginning of the twentieth century when inexpensive synthetic yellow dyes became available. In Roman times, species of Reseda were used medicinally as a sedative and to treat bruises. Mignonette (R. odorata) became fashionable in Victorian England as a pot plant, prized for scenting city air, and the volatile oil found use in the perfume industry. Charles Darwin employed R. odorata in his experimental studies of fertilisation, published in 1876.
Cultivation
Propagation is by seed, surface-sown directly into the garden or onto a grass verge. The plants do not transplant well and should not be moved after sowing. Several species, especially R. odorata (mignonette), are grown as ornamentals for the powerful fragrance of their flowers and are suitable for containers, window-boxes, and cut-flower arrangements.
