Salvia sclarea
Salvia sclarea | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Salvia |
Species: | S. sclarea
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Binomial name | |
Salvia sclarea |
Salvia sclarea, the clary or clary sage (clary deriving from Middle English clarie, from Anglo-Norman sclaree, from Late or Medieval Latin sclarēia meaning clear), is a biennial or short-lived herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia.[1] It is native to the northern Mediterranean Basin, along with some areas in north Africa and Central Asia.[citation needed] The plant has a lengthy history as an herb and is currently grown for its essential oil.[2]
Description
Salvia sclarea reaches 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) in height, with thick square stems that are covered in hairs. The leaves are approximately 1 ft (0.30 m) long at the base, .5 ft (0.15 m) long higher on the plant. The upper leaf surface is rugose, and covered with glandular hairs. The flowers are in verticils, with 2-6 flowers in each verticil, and are held in large colorful bracts that range in color from pale mauve to lilac or white to pink with a pink mark on the edge. The lilac or pale blue corolla is approximately 1 in (2.5 cm), with the lips held wide open.[2] The cultivar S. sclarea 'Turkestanica' bears pink stems, petiolate leaves, and white, pink-flecked blossoms on spikes to 30 inches (76 cm) tall.[3]
History
Descriptions of medicinal use of the plant goes back to the writings of
Clary seeds have a mucilaginous coat, which is why some old herbals recommended placing a seed into the eye of someone with a foreign object in it so that it could adhere to the object and make it easy to remove. This practice is noted by Nicholas Culpeper in his Complete Herbal (1653), who referred to the plant as "clear-eye".[5]
It was used as an ingredient in
Uses
The distilled essential oil is used widely in perfumes and as a muscatel flavoring for vermouths, wines, and liqueurs.[2] It is also used in aromatherapy.[7]
In the United States, large scale production is concentrated in northeastern North Carolina in the counties surrounding Bertie County.[8]
The chemical sclareol contained in clary sage oil has a low molecular weight and is absorbed transdermally.[9] In an experiment in which sclareol was dissolved in jojoba oil and applied to mice, (1) it was detected in the blood 30 minutes after application and (2) higher concentrations of sclareol were detected in the liver but did not cause liver dysfunction.[citation needed]
Gallery
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Salvia sclarea essential oil
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Plants of Salvia sclarea
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Plant of Salvia sclarea
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Clusters of clary flowers
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Close-up
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Close-up
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Leaves
References
- ^ "Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage, Clear Eye, Europe Sage, Eyebright) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-88192-560-9.
- ISBN 0-88192-246-3..
- PMID 32184721.
- ^ "The Complete Herbal: Clary, or More Properly Clear-Eye". bibliomania.com.
- ISBN 978-0-87596-964-0.
- ISBN 978-90-5823-005-8.
- ^ Leffingwell, John C.; Stallings, John W.; Sellers, Franklin O.; Lloyd, Robert A. & Kane Jr., Franklin C. (1974). "Clary Sage Production in the Southeastern United States". 6th International Congress of Essential Oils.
- .