Lemon bush

The lemon bush (Aloysia citriodora Palau, also known as Lippia triphylla), belongs to the verbenaceae family (Verbenaceae), which is part of the order of Lamiales. The approximately 43 species of lemon bushes (Aloysia Palau) are common in subtropical areas of the New World and in the Mediterranean region.

The lemon bush is a shrub that grows up to 5 meters high, whose leaves smell strongly of lemon and which is used as a tea and medicinal plant. The leaves are usually simple or tripartite, rarely compound; they are processed into cosmetic extracts. Lippia citriodora forms stone or capsule fruits. Some species are used as ornamental shrubs or as bedding and balcony plants. Extracts from the leaves of Aloysia triphylla are used for naturopathic purposes or in cosmetic formulations.
Aloysia triphylla is the parent plant of Herba (Folia) Verbenae odoratae, also known as Herba Lippiae citriodorae or Folia Aloysia, the essential leaf extract of the plant.

The leaf extract of the lemon shrub is used in cosmetic formulations under the INCI name: Lippia citriodora extract.

1. Burger A et al. (1993) Hunnius Pharmazeutisches Wörterbuch 7th edition Walter de Gruyter Berlin-New York p. 53