Sage

شجرة الغزال

COMMON NAME: Sage

ARABIC: شجرة الغزال

BOTANICAL NAME: Salvia spinosa L.

SYNONYMS: Sclarea spinosa (L.) Raf.

FAMILY: LAMIACEAE

KIND: Native

EMIRATE: Ras-Al-Khaimah, Fujairah

GROWTH FORMS: Herbs

HABITATS: Wadi, Gulley

TYPES: Perennial

REMARKS: The basal rosette of large leaves is characteristic and can often be found and recognized even without flowers.

DESCRIPTION:

Perennial with a basal rosette. Single stem, branched, up to 80(–100) cm, square, covered with very short, sometimes sticky white hairs; aromatic (lemon-scented). Basal leaves oval with puckered surfaces, shallowly lobed, scalloped edges, 6–15 × 8–25 cm, with stalks. Upper leaves much smaller, opposite, clasping. Inflorescence a much-branched spray, with widely spaced large white flowers up to 3 cm long, with prickly-toothed calyx. Upper lip 2-lobed, arching with protruding purple stamens; lower lip 3-lobed, shorter than upper lip. Fruit consists of 4 nutlets. Flowering from February to April.

REFERENCES:

M.V.D jongbloed, G.R. Fuelner, B. Boer, A.R. Western. the comprehensive guide to the wild flowers of the United Arab Emirates. Environmental research and wildlife Development agency, Abu Dhabi, 2003. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:457293-1/images