Salvia sclareaL. Cleareye Sage

Salvia sclareaL. - Cleareye Sage

Scientific Description:

Biennial or short-lived perennial with erect rather coarse quadrangular stems to 1 m, much branched above, pubescent to hirsute below, glandular above. Leaves simple, broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, c. 8−14 × 5−10 cm, cordate, pubescent, crenate-erose; petiole 3−9 cm. Inflorescence paniculate, many-flowered; verticillasters 2−6-flowered, distant. Bracts ± obscuring, flowers pink to mauve, membranous, ovate, acuminate, 15−35 × 10−25 mm. Pedicels 2−3 mm, erecto-patent. Calyx ovate-campanulate, c. 10 mm, to 13 mm in fruit, scabrid, with sessile glands; upper lip tridentate, mucronate. Corolla with a lilac upper lip and cream lower lip 20−30 mm; tube abruptly ventricose, squamulate; upper lip falcate. Stamens B. Nutlets rounded trigonous, 3 × 2 mm.

 

Flowering time: May−August.

Habitat: Rocky igneous slopes, mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland, shale banks, fields, roadsides, s.l−2000 m.

 

Reference:

Hedge IC (1982). Salvia sclarea L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 7: 438−439.

Public Description:

Salvia sclarea, known as “cleareye sage”, is native to the northern Mediterranean Basin, along with some areas in north Africa and Central Asia. It is a biennial or short-lived perennial herb with lilac or cream flowers, and grows up to 100 cm in length. It blooms between May and August and is found in rocky igneous slopes, mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland, shale banks, fields and roadsides. The seeds have a mucilaginous coating that is used to clean foreign objects in the eye. Distilled essential oil is widely used in perfumes. In aromatherapy, essential oil of this plant is used to relieve menstrual problems such as anxiety and fear, premenstrual syndrome and cramps, and to help with insomnia.

 

References:

Anonymous 1 (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_sclarea, Accessed date: 17.02.2016.

Anonymous 2 (2016). http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salvia+sclarea/, Accessed date: 17.02.2016.

Celep F, Kahraman A (2012). Salvia L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 575–584.