Officinal sage

The officinal sage ( Salvia officinalis L.) is a sub-shrub of the family of the Lamiacées, often cultivated in the gardens like plants condiment and officinal or quite simply for the beauty of its foliage and its flowers. It is called also crowned Herbe or The of Europe .

Description

It is a very ramified plant, with the stems of square section, the lignified base. The petiolate sheets are green-pale, velvety, oblong. The flowers, on set up floral poles, are gathered in small clusters.

Characteristics

The root of sage is brownish and fibrous. The stem measures from 20 to 30 centimetres and is very oarswoman. The sheets, opposite, elliptic, lower petiolate, rough, on notched board, réticulées, soft, with top blanchâtre, persist the winter thanks to the coating of woolly hairs which protects them. The flowers, blue-pink lilacs, visible from May to August, large, are grouped at the base of the higher sheets the unit forms large ears. Commune in Europe, more especially in the southernmost areas, it is however rare in a wild state. It reaches a height about 1m.

Reproductive bodies

Standard of inflorescence: spiciform clusters
distribution of the sexes: Standard hermaphrodite
of pollination: entomogame
Period of flowering: May at July

Granulates

Standard of “fruit”: Akène
Mode of dissemination: barochore

Habitat and distribution

standard Habitat: basophilic lawns mésoméditerranéennes, mésoxérophiles
Surface of distribution: introduced (Occidental Asia)

History

Its name is already a kind of diploma of effectiveness since salvia comes from Latin salvare who means “to save”, “to cure”; It is one of the plants crowned of old. The Romans collected it with a special ceremonial, without the intervention of iron tools (but, it is known now that iron salts are a substance incompatible with sage!), “in white tunic, the barefeet and washed well”, after having sacrificed as a preliminary with bread and wine. Its effects due to its essential oil and the presence of an estrogen had already been observed as well by the Romans as the Egyptians. During all Middle Ages, it remains a paramount plant and enters very many preparations: Water of arquebus, Methylated spirits, imperial Water, etc

What is confirmed by the saying: “which has sage in its garden, need for doctor does not have”

The dried sage sheets are a condiment employed since antiquity.

It remains used in the modern pharmacopeia.

Culture

This plant aromatic, medicinal, condiment and decorative is cultivated in light and permeable ground, even rocky, always with sunny exposure. In spite of its woolly hairs, she fears the very strong frosts. The multiplication is done by Bouturage or division of the tufts, more rarely by sowing.

The harvest of the sheets is done spring with the autumn, as it is wished, always in dry weather to as frequently carry out a drying in the fast shade.

It is, like all sages, a plant mellifère

Chemical component

Gasoline (pinene, salviene, thujone, cinéol, bornéol, camphrene), saponin, tannins, resin, acids, mucilage, salts, vitamins, estrogen, asparagine.

Culinary use

The sheets are employed like aromatics in kitchen, particularly in the Marinade S and the seasoning of the Gibier.

The flowers are used in food industry for the clothes industry of Confiture S.

Medicinal properties

It is Antiseptique, stimulative, tonic and stomachic. It has also various degrees of the antispasmodic properties, emménagogues, Fébrifuge S, antisudorales.

In external use (in Decoction), its properties are resolvent, vulnerary S, Antiseptique S and healing.

In Herb tea or Aromate it facilitates digestion. But taken in excess the sage infusions would be harmful.

Cosmetic

Its gasoline is an excellent fixer of Parfum, but it is usually distilled starting from the sclarée Sauge.

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