Sage

Salvia officinalis

Fam. Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Common Sauge, great sauge

Ted. Salbey

Ing. Sage

Spag. Sage

There are over 750 species of Salvia in the world

Description

Sage is a suffrutice, an evergreen with a bushy habit.

Stem erect, 50.60 cm high, woody at the base, herbaceous and tomentose at the apex.

Leaves: opposite and petiolate at the base, sessile at the apex, oval-lanceolate, with cuneate base in the inferior, rounded in the others; obtuse apex, notched margin; silvery surface due to the presence of hairs.

Root: fusiform, robust, fibrous.

Flowers: tubular, blue or purplish-white, in 5-10 pieces to form terminal ears, which appear from May to July. The flowers are typically bilabiate. The stamens are inserted at the base of the corolla and generally only one pair is fertile. The ovary is exceeded, divided into 4 lobes.

Fruits: tetrachenes that contain the tiny brown ovoid seeds

Areal

Culture

Sage prefers a soft and calcareous soil, but it also adapts to an arid and stony substrate; it does not fear drought but cold and stagnant water, in the presence of which the leaves blacken.

New plants can be obtained by sowing (5-15 kg / ha), or by semi-woody cuttings taken in late spring or by division of the tufts, to be carried out in autumn. Sage requires a sunny and warm position. The sage bushes wish to enjoy a certain space for their roots and if these do not have the possibility of expanding the leaves are stained with yellow. To obtain compact shrubs it is good to prune them often, but without ever touching the woody part. Exaggerated pruning leads to the decay of the tufts, which are generally renewed every 4 or 5 years.

Sage can be grown in pots, as long as the soil is sandy and even in the apartment, as long as it is in a very bright position. It is very sensitive to frosts so it is good to protect it during the winter. Yield / ha: 10-20 t.

Harvest : the best time to harvest the leaves is just before flowering: drying must take place slowly and in the shade. The flowering tops should be picked by cutting also a herbaceous portion of the stem. Conservation: the leaves and flowers are kept in airtight jars: they will keep their characteristics intact for about 3 years.

Drugs : are the leaves and flowering tops.

Active ingredients: sage essential oil, tannins, organic acids, rosmarinic acid, estrogens and bitter compounds

uses

In phytotherapy, sage is used for its properties that stimulate the functions of the intestine and gall bladder. On the respiratory system it has a balsamic and expectorant effect and is also beneficial in asthma excesses. Other interesting properties are those of lowering blood sugar, reducing sweating due to general weakness, acting favorably on certain ovarian disorders.

For external use the sage is antiseptic and slightly astringent. The ancient medicine has made use of it as a powerful healing on wounds and wounds that are difficult to heal; the most valid domestic use is that for the oral cavity and the throat (soft gums and bleeding, redness and ulcerette, bad breath). The most surprising effect occurs in the treatment of respiratory diseases: dry leaves mixed with honey or boiled in milk have immediate effect; by gargling with the infusion you can fight tonsillitis.

In cosmetics : the fresh leaves rubbed on the teeth make them whiter and purify the breath. The decoction of sage is used, in the rinsing phase, to maintain the color to dark hair and tapped on the skin of the face has a cleansing and astringent function. It has anti-dandruff properties, based on stimulation of the piliferous papillae, it is also antisudoriferous and antiseptic. In dietetics: sage is much appreciated because it adds flavor to many dishes and digestibility to fatty meats. As a rule it is considered useless to mix it with other aromas, as its strongly dominant scent nullifies the others. It is also used for its antioxidant properties.

Contraindications: the essential oil or overly concentrated preparations of sage can give serious nervous disorders and serious intoxications.