wild clary

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Wild Clary
• Wild Sage
• vervain sage

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Gallitrichum clandestinum
• Gallitrichum verbenacum
• Gallitrichum horminoides
• Gallitrichum pallidiflorum
• Horminum verbenacum
• Larnastyra verbenaca
• Sclarea verbenaca
• Salvia verbenaca var. oblongata
• Salvia clandestina var. pallidiflora
• Salvia clandestina var. obtusata
• Salvia verbenaca var. dubia
• Salvia linnaei
• Gallitrichum arvale
• Salvia candollei
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. foetens
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. battandieri
• Salvia verbenaca var. spielmannii
• Salvia weihaiensis
• Salvia spielmanniana
• Gallitrichum dichroanthum
• Gallitrichum anglicum
• Gallitrichum ptychophyllum
• Gallitrichum rosulatum
• Horminum parviflorum
• Horminum sylvestre
• Salvia subscaposa
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. claudi
• Salvia verbenaca var. bicolor
• Salvia verbenaca var. integrifolia
• Larnastyra claytonii
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. controversa
• Salvia verbenaca var. laxispica
• Salvia verbenaca var. praecox
• Salvia verbenaca var. oblongifolia
• Salvia verbenaca var. sabulicola
• Salvia verbenaca var. serrata
• Salvia verbenaca var. disermas
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. ochroleuca
• Salvia sennenii var. acanthifolia
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. horminoides
• Salvia clandestina var. controversa
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. sabulicola
• Salvia horminoides var. pinnatiloba
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. oblongata
• Salvia linnaei subsp. clandestina
• Salvia verbenaca var. anglica
• Salvia linnaei subsp. horminoides
• Salvia clandestina var. hiemalis
• Salvia polymorpha
• Salvia linnaei proles controversa
• Salvia clandestina subsp. multifida
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. clandestina
• Salvia clandestina var. multifida
• Salvia verbenaca var. ovatocrenata
• Salvia rhodantha
• Salvia verbenaca var. serotina
• Salvia theodori
• Salvia verbenaca var. sinuata
• Salvia verbenaca var. amplifrons
• Salvia verbenaca var. clandestina
• Salvia verbenaca var. horminoides
• Salvia sennenii
• Salvia verbenaca var. multifida
• Salvia sabulicola
• Salvia verbenaca subsp. multifida
• Salvia verbenaca var. controversa
• Salvia verbenaca var. vernalis
• Salvia verbenaca var. australis
• Salvia ochroleuca
• Salvia pallidiflora
• Salvia neglecta
• Salvia multifida
• Salvia multifida var. delicatula
• Salvia mediterranea
• Salvia lowei
• Salvia intricata
• Salvia illyrica
• Salvia anglica
• Salvia anselmii
• Salvia byzantina
• Salvia barcinonensis
• Salvia basilii
• Salvia acutata
• Salvia cleistogama
• Salvia clandestina
• Salvia clandestinoides
• Salvia controversa
• Salvia fontii
• Salvia electa
• Salvia erosa
• Salvia domenechii
• Salvia hiemalis
• Salvia horminoides
• Salvia verbenaca var. delicatula
• Salvia verbenacoides
• Salvia verbenifolia
• Salvia variabilis
• Salvia vivianii
• Sclarea rhodantha
• Sclarea decidua
• Sclarea viscosissima
• Gallitrichum rubellum
• Gallitrichum stereocaulon
• Gallitrichum virgatum
• Gallitrichum candollei
• Gallitrichum maculatum
• Salvia laciniata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is placed in the order Lamiales and the family Lamiaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Salvia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution across several regions of Europe. In Northern Europe, its presence is documented in both Great Britain and Ireland. Moving toward Middle Europe, the species can be found throughout Germany and the Netherlands. Additionally, it is located within the Czechia-Slovakia region. These areas collectively define the known geographical range for Salvia verbenaica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Salvia verbenaica is characterized by its broad adaptability across diverse landscapes and altitudinal gradients. This species thrives in a variety of habitats, including meadows, mountain regions, limestone formations, and even disturbed areas such as crop fields. Its ecological distribution is extensive, spanning an elevational range from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum altitude of 2500 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

2500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

crop fields, limestone, meadows, mountains

Life history

The life history of Salvia verbenaica is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, its perennating buds are situated at or just below the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or surface debris during unfavorable conditions. The plant exhibits variable deciduousness, meaning its foliage may shed or remain depending on specific environmental pressures and seasonal changes. This combination of a perennial lifecycle and a hemicryptophytic life form enables the species to maintain a stable presence within its ecological niche, adapting its growth patterns to the shifting availability of resources.

Deciduousness :

variable

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Salvia verbenaica is characterized by a non-woody growth form, functioning primarily as a herb or forb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not exhibit climbing behavior, such as a vine or liana, and it operates as an independent organism rather than a parasite. This terrestrial species is neither aquatic nor an epiphyte, maintaining a standard land-based existence. In terms of stature, the plant displays a variable height, ranging from a minimum of 0.05 m to a maximum of 1 m, with an average plant height of approximately 0.425 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height mean:

0.425 m

Plant height min:

0.05 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Salvia verbenaica is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating a metabolic process optimized for environments where carbon dioxide fixation occurs directly through the enzyme Rubisco without specialized anatomical adaptations like those found in C4 or CAM plants. The plant is non-carnivorous and does not possess the physiological mechanisms required for nitrogen fixation, meaning it relies on the soil for its nitrogen requirements. Morphologically, its physiological functions are supported by an elliptic leaf form arranged in a rosette pattern. These leaves exhibit specific dimensional variations, with a minimum leaf length of 5 cm reaching a maximum of 10 cm, and a leaf width that ranges from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 4 cm, maintaining a mean width of approximately 1.5 cm.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf arrangement :

rosette

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

10 cm

Leaf length min:

5 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width mean:

1.5 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Salvia verbenaica is characterized by a sexual process through bisexual flowers, with asexual reproduction being absent. The flowering period is quite extensive, beginning in April and continuing through December. These flowers are blue in color and vary in length from a minimum of 0.3 cm to a maximum of 1.6 cm. The pollination syndrome is biotic, specifically relying on insects such as bees to facilitate fertilization; notably, self-fertilization is absent in this species. Following successful pollination, the plant produces dry, black fruits classified as achenes. These fruits are relatively small, ranging from 0.16 cm to 0.23 cm in width and 0.17 cm to 0.24 cm in length, and they are indehiscent. Each fruit is prolific, containing between 101 and 1000 seeds. The seeds themselves are minute, with a mean length of 2 mm, a mean volume of 1.8 mm³, and a mean mass of approximately 0.0027295 g (ranging from a minimum of 0.0006 g to a maximum of 0.00331 g). Dispersal is achieved via an autochorous syndrome, meaning the plant utilizes autochorous mechanisms to distribute its seeds.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

autochorous

Flower colour :

blue

Flower length max:

1.6 cm

Flower length min:

0.3 cm

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit colour :

black

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

0.24 cm

Fruit length min:

0.17 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Fruit width max:

0.23 cm

Fruit width min:

0.16 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

2 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00331 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0027295 g

Seed mass min:

6e-04 g

Seed volume max:

1.8 mm³

Seeds_per_fruit :

101-1000

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Salvia verbenaca has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root.

Root

1. Turkish journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Chemicals

Salvia verbenaca has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Fatty acids, Flavonoids, Sesquiterpenes, Sterols, Terpenoids.

Fatty acids

1. BioMed research international

Flavonoids

1. BioMed research international

Sesquiterpenes

1. Natural product research

Sterols

1. BioMed research international

Terpenoids

1. BioMed research international

Verbenacine

1. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

Activities

Salvia verbenaca has 4 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antioxidant.

Antibacterial

1. BioMed research international

Anticancer

1. BioMed research international

Antidiabetic

1. BioMed research international

Antioxidant

1. BioMed research international

Medicinal Uses

Salvia verbenaca has 8 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antidiabetic, antioxidant, colitis, gastrointestinal disorders, neurodegenerative disorders.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations