Salvia stenophylla | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Salvia |
Species: | S. stenophylla |
Binomial name | |
Salvia stenophylla | |
Salvia stenophylla (Blue Mountain sage) is a perennial shrub native to a wide area of Southern Africa: South Africa (the Cape Provinces, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the Northern Provinces), Botswana and Namibia. [1] It grows on grassy or stony slopes, and in open countryside or among shrubs. It has been used traditionally as a disinfectant by burning it in huts after sickness, and it is also mixed with tobacco for smoking. Its specific epithet, stenophylla, refers to the narrow leaves. [2]
Salvia stenophylla is a many-branched and upright shrub that reaches up to 2 feet (0.61 m) tall and wide in the wild, less in cultivation. The stems are square and lightly covered with hairs. The leaves are long and narrow with deep lobes. They have a strong fragrance and are rough to the touch. The sparsely spaced leaves are pinnatid, growing up to 2 inches (5.1 cm) long and 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) wide, with ten pairs of narrow segments that have glands. These glands give off a wood-like aroma when brushed. The stem and leaves contain the essential oils. The tiny pale blue flowers appear during the summer months. [3] They grow in whorls of six to eight, and are held in a calyx that is hairy and covered with oil glands. [2]
The leaves of Blue Mountain sage can be made into a tea and used to soothe digestive problems, colds, coughs, chest congestion, and relieve breathing issues. A poultice may be put on wounds such as scrapes, sores, and bites, giving relief by providing a cooling sensation. The herbage contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents.[ citation needed ] The leaves of this plant are natural insect repellents when burned. [4] [5]
The essential oil from Blue Mountain sage is straw-like in color. The oil is used to relieve stress and promote relaxation. It is used as a massage oil and an agent of aromatherapy. It may also be diluted, placed in the palms of the hands, and inhaled, a method used to clear the sinuses and bronchi. [6] The oil can be blended with basil, bergamot, cypress, geranium, ginger, lavender, lemon, vetivert, and ylang-ylang. This is a method of creating new flavors and scents from the original aroma. [5]
The most abundant compounds in the Blue Mountain sage oil are α-bisabolol (46.5%), limonene (38.1%), δ-3-carene (24.9%), γ-terpinene (20.3%), p-cymene (18.4%) and (E)-nerolidol (53.6%). [7]
Salvia rosmarinus, commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name Rosmarinus officinalis, now a synonym.
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An essential oil is essential in the sense that it contains the essence of the plant's fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. The term "essential" used here does not mean indispensable or usable by the human body, as with the terms essential amino acid or essential fatty acid, which are so called because they are nutritionally required by a living organism.
Salvia officinalis, the common sage or sage, is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region, though it has been naturalized in many places throughout the world. It has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, and in modern times it has been used as an ornamental garden plant. The common name "sage" is also used for closely related species and cultivars.
Salvia sclarea, the clary or clary sage, is a biennial or short-lived herbaceous perennial in the genus Salvia. It is native to the northern Mediterranean Basin, along with some areas in north Africa and Central Asia. The plant has a lengthy history as an herb, and is currently grown for its essential oil.
Cananga odorata, known as ylang-ylang or cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to and originated in the Philippines and spread to Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Cambodia, Thailand, India and Vietnam. It is valued for the essential oils extracted from its flowers, which has a strong floral fragrance. Ylang-ylang is one of the most extensively used natural materials in the perfume industry, earning it the name "Queen of Perfumes".
Used in perfumery and aromatherapy, absolutes are similar to essential oils. They are concentrated, highly aromatic, oily mixtures extracted from plants. Whereas essential oils are produced by distillation, boiling or pressing, absolutes are produced through solvent extraction, or more traditionally, through enfleurage.
Salvia mellifera is a small, highly aromatic, evergreen shrub of the genus Salvia native to California, and Baja California, Mexico. It is common in the coastal sage scrub of Southern California and northern Baja California. Black sage has a dark appearance, especially during drought.
Salvia apiana, the Californian white sage, bee sage, or sacred sage is an evergreen perennial shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, found mainly in the coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.
Fragrance oils, also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils, and flavor oils, are blended synthetic aroma compounds or natural essential oils that are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil.
Aromachology is the study of the influence of odors on human behavior and to examine the relationship between feelings and emotions. Those who practice aromachology are aromachologists. Aromachologists analyze emotions such as relaxation, exhilaration, sensuality, happiness and well-being brought about by odors stimulating the olfactory pathways in the brain and, in particular, the limbic system. Different wearers are thought to have unique physiological and psychological responses to scents, especially those not manufactured synthetically but based on real scents. The word "aromachology" is derived from "aroma" and "physio-psychology", the latter being the study of aroma. This term was coined in 1989 by what is now the Sense of Smell Institute (SSI), a division of The Fragrance Foundation. The SSI defines aromachology as "a concept based on systematic, scientific data collected under controlled conditions". The term is defined as the scientifically observable influence of smell on emotions and moods. Consumers use aromachology to alleviate time pressures, for relaxation or stimulation and as a component of other activities that generate a feeling of well-being.
Artemisia californica, also known as California sagebrush, is a species of western North American shrub in the sunflower family.
Fragrance extraction refers to the separation process of aromatic compounds from raw materials, using methods such as distillation, solvent extraction, expression, sieving, or enfleurage. The results of the extracts are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes, or butters, depending on the amount of waxes in the extracted product.
Salvia fruticosa, or Greek sage, is a perennial herb or sub-shrub native to the eastern Mediterranean, including Southern Italy, the Canary Islands and North Africa. It is especially abundant in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon.
Salvia clevelandii, the fragrant sage, blue sage, Jim sage and Cleveland sage, is a perennial plant that is native to Southern California and northern Baja California, growing below 900 m (3,000 ft) elevation in California coastal sage and chaparral habitat. The plant was named in 1874 by Asa Gray, honoring plant collector Daniel Cleveland.
Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with nearly 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. Within the Lamiaceae, Salvia is part of the tribe Mentheae within the subfamily Nepetoideae. One of several genera commonly referred to as sage, it includes two widely used herbs, Salvia officinalis and Salvia rosmarinus.
Salvia lavandulifolia is a small woody herbaceous perennial native to Spain and southern France, growing in rocky soil in Maquis shrubland, often found growing with rosemary, Lavandula lanata, and Genista cinerea.
Salvia namaensis is an evergreen perennial shrub native to a limited area in Namibia and a wide area of South Africa. It is typically found growing on rocky slopes, shales, limestone hills, and sandy soils at 1,000 to 5,000 feet elevation. The specific epithet namaensis probably refers to the Nama tribe which is indigenous to Namaqualand, the region in Namibia where the plant grows.
Salvia repens is a herbaceous perennial native to South Africa and Lesotho, growing at elevations between 1,500 and 8,000 feet in open country and amongst shrubs. It has also adapted to grassland, grassy slopes, and shale banks. It was described and named by botanist George Bentham in 1833, based on a description by William John Burchell, with repens referring to the creeping rootstock.
Salvia urica is a herbaceous perennial native to the mountains of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and Chiapas, Mexico. It is reportedly most common in Guatemala, where it grows in a wide variety of habitats from 1,000 to 8,000 feet elevation, in a mild and moist climate. The specific epithet, urica, means "caterpillar" or "cankerworm", possibly describing the tight whorls of flowers, calyces, and bracts before they open.