Honeydew melon sage
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Honeydew melon sage ( Salvia elegans ) |
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| Vahl |
The honeydew melon sage or pineapple sage ( Salvia elegans ) is a species of plant from the genus sage in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It comes from Central America and is potted in our shops as a culinary herb .
features
The honeydew melon sage is an evergreen dwarf shrub that can reach heights of 80 to 180 centimeters. The opposite, simple, softly hairy leaves have a serrated leaf edge, are 5 to 10 cm long and have a slight smell of pineapple .
Four flowers each sit together in whorls. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic . The five green sepals are fused. The five red petals are fused. The crown upper lip is 8 to 11 millimeters, as long as the crown lower lip or a little longer.
The flowering period extends from July to November, depending on the variety.
ecology
Pollination takes place by birds ( ornithophilia ).
Occurrence
The honeydew melon sage is found in Mexico and Guatemala in fir, pine and oak forests.
Systematics
The scientific name Salvia elegans was given to the honeydew melon sage in 1804 by Martin Vahl . This was a replacement for the invalid name Salvia incarnata Cav. that Antonio José Cavanilles had used in his first description in 1800 . This name had been used for another species of sage, Salvia incarnata Etl, since 1777 . forgive.
The pineapple sage Salvia rutilans was described by Élie Abel Carrière in 1873 as a separate species. This name is now mostly seen as a synonym for Salvia elegans . Other synonyms are Salvia camertonii Regel , Salvia longiflora Sessé & Moc. Scheele , Salvia microcalyx , Salvia microculis Poir. and Salvia punicea M. Martens & Galeotti .
use
The honeydew melon or pineapple sage is rarely used as an ornamental plant in summer borders. The leaves and flowers are used as herbs, for example for drinks, leaf or fruit salads.
supporting documents
literature
- Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Rothmaler excursion flora from Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Petra Wester, Regine Claßen-Bockhoff: Floral Diversity and Pollen Transfer Mechanisms in Bird-pollinated Salvia Species ( Memento of the original from October 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , In: Annals of Botany , Volume 100 (2), 2007, pp. 401-421.
- ↑ Salvia elegans from Tropicos , accessed November 17, 2014.
- ^ Salvia rutilans at The Plant List , accessed November 17, 2014.
- ^ Salvia rutilans from Kew World Checklist , accessed November 17, 2014.
- ↑ Salvia elegans at The Plant List , accessed November 17, 2014.
- ↑ Salvia elegans at Plants for a Future , accessed November 17, 2014.
