Salvia pratensis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643febe13878f141478184 |
| Scientific name | Salvia pratensis |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 25 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Salvia pratensis (L.)—commonly called meadow clary—has been used in traditional European practice mainly as an aromatic infusion and occasionally as a poultice. In the Czech Republic and Poland, decoctions of the above‑ground herb were taken to ease coughs and as a mild expectorant, while infusions of leaves and flowering tops were used as carminatives and for digestive “wind” according to Hobhouse (1986). In Italy (Trentino–Alto Adige/South Tyrol), a leaf infusion was drunk for sore throat and mouth irritation, with some herbalists also preparing compresses of the same material for inflamed eyes; these uses are noted in Zanetti et al. (2013). In Austria, a traditional poultice of crushed leaves was applied to minor wounds and bruises, as recorded by Vogl et al. (2013), and in Hungary a mild leaf infusion was used as a diaphoretic for colds, following Horn and Leonhartsberger (2014). These accounts consistently involve preparations of aerial parts, especially the leaves, in water‑based infusions or decoctions, reflecting the plant’s aromatic constituents.
For a practical cold‑and‑sore‑throat infusion, use 1–2 grams of dried aerial herb (mostly leaves) per 200 milliliters of just‑boiled water, cover and steep 10–15 minutes, then strain; sip 1–2 cups daily. A 1:5 tincture can be made by macerating 20 grams of dried aerial parts in 100 milliliters of 45–50% ethanol for 2–3 weeks, shaking daily, then pressing and filtering. There are no widely accepted clinical dose limits for Salvia pratensis, but caution is advised for pregnancy and in people with sage‑allergy, and infusions should be kept modest; traditional practice suggests avoiding higher or prolonged doses.
The activity aligns with well‑known Salvia constituents: carnosic acid and carnosol from the essential‑oil fraction, together with rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid derivatives, and the flavonoids luteolin and apigenin. These polyphenols and phenolics are documented for Salvia pratensis and plausibly account for the observed mild anti‑inflammatory and antispasmodic properties in traditional infusions, while the essential‑oil monoterpenes support the aromatic and expectorant traditions.
Modern relevance is modest: extracts are occasionally present in European herbal formulas, but Salvia officinalis remains the dominant culinary and medicinal species, and meadow clary is mainly a specialty or niche item used in some regional herbal traditions today.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Salvia pratensis yields an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the aerial parts. Commercial profiles report major constituents including thujone, camphor, and 1,8-cineole, with other oxygenated monoterpenes such as α- and β-thujone, borneol, and camphor frequently reported in GC analyses of wild-growing material.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
The essential oil is used as a fragrance component in perfumery and aromatic compositions. Its terpene profile and odor characteristics fit standard fragrance applications. Established cosmetic standards for Salvia oil exist, and formulations using S. pratensis oil are typically aligned with general limits and requirements applied to sage oils.
Properties relevant to use:
The oil’s scent and volatility are driven by its oxygenated monoterpene content (e.g., thujone and camphor). This chemistry imparts the characteristic sharp, camphoraceous aroma used in fragrance accords. Regulatory guidance for sage oils—where thujone is a key toxicological marker—applies to Salvia oils in general.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Salvia pratensis occurs widely across Europe and is used as a source material for essential oil production from wild-collected or cultivated plants. Its perennial habit and broad ecological amplitude support moderate harvesting, but collection should follow established sustainable wild-crafting practices to maintain local populations.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Plethiosphace pratensis | Opiz | Seznam : 75 (1852) |
| Salvia barrelieri | Ten. | Fl. Napol. 1: 9 (1811) |
| Salvia ceratophylla | Ten. | Syll. Pl. Fl. Neapol. 21. 1831 (1831) |
| Salvia dubia | K.Koch | Linnaea 21: 657 (1849) |
| Salvia oblongata | Schur | Enum. Pl. Transsilv. : 961 (1866) |
| Salvia variegata | Host | Fl. Austriac. 1: 27 (1827) |
| Sclarea pratensis | Mill. | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 4 (1768) |
| Salvia pratensis var. variegata | (Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd.) Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 569. 1881 |
| Salvia pratensis var. rostrata | (F.W.Schmidt) Rchb.f. | Icon. Fl. Germ. Helv. 18: 29. 1856 |
| Salvia haematodes subsp. tiberina | (Mauri) Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 569. 1881 (1881) |
| Salvia pratensis var. albiflora | T.Durand | Prodr. Fl. Belg. 3: 663. 1903 |
| Salvia pratensis var. submollis | Jakucs | Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Natl. Hung. n.s., 3: 90. 1953 |
| Salvia pratensis var. nicaeensis | Briq. | Lab. Alp. Mar. 528. 1895 |
| Salvia pratensis var. parviflora | Lecoq & Lamotte | Cat. Pl. Plateau Central 296. 1848 |
| Salvia pratensis var. modesta | Briq. | Lab. Alp. Mar. 529. 1895 |
| Gallitrichum pratense | Fourr. | Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon , n.s., 17: 134 (1869) |
| Salvia pratensis var. caerulea | Schrad. | Fl. Germ. : 63 (1806) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | meadow sage |
| English | meadow clary |
| English | introduced sage |
| Spanish | plethiosphace leistneriana |
| Spanish | gallitrichum pratense |
| Spanish | plethiosphace pratensis |
| Spanish | salvia barrelieri |
| Spanish | hormigón de prados |
| Spanish | hormigon de prados |
| Spanish | gallocresta rustica |
| Spanish | salvia variegata |
| Arabic | قصعين حقلي |
| Azerbaijani | Çəmənlik adaçayı |
| Belarusian | Шалфей лугавы |
| Bulgarian | ливаден конски босилек |
| Catalan | sauge des prés |
| Czech | šalvěj luční |
| Welsh | saets y waun |
| Welsh | clari'r maes |
| Danish | eng-salvie |
| German | wiesen-salbei |
| German | wiesensalbei |
| German | sauge des prés |
| Estonian | aassalvei |
| Persian | مریم چمنی |
| Finnish | niittysalvia |
| French | sauge des prés |
| French | sauge des pres |
| Irish | tormán léana |
| Upper Sorbian | Łučna želbija |
| Hungarian | mezei zsálya |
| Igbo | meadow clary |
| Kazakh | Дала шалфейі |
| Lithuanian | sauge des prés |
| Lithuanian | pievinis šalavijas |
| Latvian | pļavas salvija |
| Macedonian | полска жалфија |
| Macedonian | ливадска жалфија |
| Norwegian Bokmål | engsalvie |
| Dutch | veldsalie |
| os | Уыгæрдæны лæсыф |
| Polish | szałwia łąkowa |
| Romanian | salvie de câmp |
| Romanian | salvie de camp |
| Russian | Шалфей луговой |
| Slovak | šalvia lúčna |
| Slovenian | travniška kadulja |
| Swedish | Ängssalvia |
| Swedish | sauge des prés |
| Ukrainian | Шавлія лучна |
| Walloon | saedje des tchamps |
| Chinese | 草地鼠尾草 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Salvia pratensis subsp. haematodes | (L.) Arcang. | Comp. Fl. Ital. , ed. 2: 429 (1894) |
| Salvia pratensis subsp. laciniosa | (Jord.) Briq. | Lab. Alp. Mar. : 525 (1895) |
| Salvia pratensis subsp. pozegensis | (Watzl) Diklic | Fl. SR Srbije 6: 450 (1974) |
| Salvia pratensis subsp. pratensis | Unknown |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- Krym
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Great Britain
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Kriti
- Romania
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Corse
- France
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Ontario
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Kansas
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- Washington
- Wyoming
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Delaware
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Virginia
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Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000301989 |
| UNII | 0RF2RJ6JV2 |
| Canadensys | 6448 |
| USDA Plants | SAPR2 |
| Tropicos | 17600305 |
| INPN | 120685 |
| Flora of Italy | 4674 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:457007-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-183565 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 281424 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 816902 |
| Observations.org | 2728 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 49216 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000004220 |
| Nature Serve | 2.160135 |
| IPNI | 457007-1 |
| iNaturalist | 85338 |
| GBIF | 2927007 |
| Freebase | /m/0gjg8h |
| WisFlora | 7624 |
| EPPO | SALPR |
| EOL | 579406 |
| Elurikkus | 7050 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 9412 |
| USDA GRIN | 32955 |
| Wikipedia | Salvia_pratensis |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Hydrocarbons / Saturated hydrocarbons / Alkanes / Branched alkanes | |||||
| 2-Methyldecane | 23415 | Click to see | 156.31 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids | |||||
| 6-Hydroxy-1,1,4A-trimethyl-7-(propan-2-YL)-1,2,3,4,4A,9,10,10A-octahydrophenanthren-9-one | 275529 | Click to see | 300.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-957435 |
| 7-Ketoroyleanone | 2751800 | Click to see CC(C)C1=C(C2=C(C(=O)C1=O)C3(CCCC(C3CC2=O)(C)C)C)O | 330.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-957435 |
| Royleanone | 442084 | Click to see CC(C)C1=C(C2=C(C(=O)C1=O)C3(CCCC(C3CC2)(C)C)C)O | 316.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-957435 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[2-[(1R,4R,4aR,8aS)-4-hydroxy-4,7-dimethyl-2,3,4a,5,6,8a-hexahydro-1H-naphthalen-1-yl]propan-2-yloxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162956442 | Click to see CC1=CC2C(CC1)C(CCC2C(C)(C)OC3C(C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O)(C)O | 400.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides / Triterpene glycosides / Triterpene saponins | |||||
| 8a-[3-[5-[4-[3,4-Dihydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxy-3,5-dihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-3,4-dihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxycarbonyl-2-hydroxy-6b-(hydroxymethyl)-4,6a,11,11,14b-pentamethyl-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-1,2,3,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,12a,14,14a-tetradecahydropicene-4-carboxylic acid | 74081266 | Click to see | 1237.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones | |||||
| kankanoside M | 49788109 | Click to see | 330.33 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| (1R,3aR,5aR,5bR,6S,7aR,11aR,11bR,13aR,13bR)-6-hydroxy-3a,5a,5b,8,8,11a-hexamethyl-1-prop-1-en-2-yl-2,3,4,5,6,7,7a,10,11,11b,12,13,13a,13b-tetradecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]chrysen-9-one | 21672671 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(=O)C(C5CC(C4(C3(CC2)C)C)O)(C)C)C)C | 440.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97947-0 |
| (1R,3aR,5aR,5bR,6S,7aR,9S,11aS,11bR,13aR,13bR)-3a,5a,5b,8,8,11a-hexamethyl-1-prop-1-en-2-yl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,7a,9,10,11,11b,12,13,13a,13b-hexadecahydrocyclopenta[a]chrysene-6,9-diol | 21672679 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CC(C4(C3(CC2)C)C)O)(C)C)O)C)C | 442.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97947-0 |
| 3a,5a,5b,8,8,11a-Hexamethyl-1-prop-1-en-2-yl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,7a,9,10,11,11b,12,13,13a,13b-hexadecahydrocyclopenta[a]chrysene-6,9-diol | 73821085 | Click to see | 442.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97947-0 |
| 6-hydroxy-3a,5a,5b,8,8,11a-hexamethyl-1-prop-1-en-2-yl-2,3,4,5,6,7,7a,10,11,11b,12,13,13a,13b-tetradecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]chrysen-9-one | 73821081 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(=O)C(C5CC(C4(C3(CC2)C)C)O)(C)C)C)C | 440.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97947-0 |
| Beta-Amyrin | 73145 | Click to see CC1(CCC2(CCC3(C(=CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)C)O)C)C)C2C1)C)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97947-0 |
| Germanicol | 122857 | Click to see CC1(CCC2(CCC3(C(C2=C1)CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)C)O)C)C)C)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97947-0 |
| Lupeol | 259846 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)97947-0 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Cycloartanols and derivatives | |||||
| methyl (E,6R)-6-[(1R,3R,6S,8S,11R,12S,13S,15R,16R,18R)-6,13-diacetyloxy-18-hydroxy-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-15-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]-2-methylhept-2-enoate | 162863514 | Click to see CC(CCC=C(C)C(=O)OC)C1CC(C2(C1(CC(C34C2CCC5C3(C4)CCC(C5(C)C)OC(=O)C)O)C)C)OC(=O)C | 586.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Ergostane steroids / Ergosterols and derivatives | |||||
| [(2R,3R,5R,6R,9R,10R,11R,13R,14R,17R)-17-[(E,2R,5S)-5,6-dimethylhept-3-en-2-yl]-2,3,5,6,9-pentahydroxy-10-(hydroxymethyl)-13-methyl-2,3,4,6,11,12,14,15,16,17-decahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-11-yl] acetate | 21609792 | Click to see | 536.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Peptides / Oligopeptides | |||||
| 5-[[4-Amino-5-[[1-[[1-carboxy-4-[(4-carboxy-3-methylbut-2-enoyl)-hydroxyamino]butyl]amino]-5-[(4-carboxy-3-methylbut-2-enoyl)-hydroxyamino]-1-oxopentan-2-yl]amino]-5-oxopentyl]-hydroxyamino]-3-methyl-5-oxopent-3-enoic acid | 163059045 | Click to see CC(=CC(=O)N(CCCC(C(=O)NC(CCCN(C(=O)C=C(C)CC(=O)O)O)C(=O)NC(CCCN(C(=O)C=C(C)CC(=O)O)O)C(=O)O)N)O)CC(=O)O | 786.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Tricarboxylic acids and derivatives | |||||
| [(3aR,4R,5R,9aR,9bS)-5-acetyloxy-6,9-dimethyl-3-methylidene-2,7-dioxo-4,5,9a,9b-tetrahydro-3aH-azuleno[4,5-b]furan-4-yl] (2R,3R)-2,3-dimethyloxirane-2-carboxylate | 162926507 | Click to see | 416.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2008-1074842 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones | |||||
| Apigenin | 5280443 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O | 270.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50048A050 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(01)00415-0 |
| Luteolin | 5280445 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O | 286.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50048A050 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Anthocyanins / Anthocyanidin-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| Delphinidin 3-glucosylglucoside | 5316496 | Click to see | 627.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50048A050 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-7-O-glycosides | |||||
| Apigenin 7-O-glucoside | 5280704 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(01)00415-0 https://doi.org/10.1021/ACS.JNATPROD.7B00155 |
| Tilianin | 5321954 | Click to see | 446.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50048A050 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 4-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Diosmetin | 5281612 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O | 300.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(01)00415-0 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |