Sideritis hirsuta
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fecd44b973867141684 |
| Scientific name | Sideritis hirsuta |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 575 (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.
Sideritis hirsuta, commonly called “hairy ironwort,” is a perennial shrub of the Mediterranean basin that has long been brewed as a soothing tea. Among the Greek islanders of Crete, the leaves are steeped in hot water for 5–10 minutes to relieve stomach upset and coughs, a practice documented in the ethnobotanical survey of the Cretan flora (Papadopoulos et al., 2019). In the Turkish village of Çeşme, the dried leaves are used in a decoction to treat colds and sore throats; the preparation is described in the regional folk‑medicine compendium of the Aegean coast (Kara & Yıldız, 2017). The Montenegrin people of the Bay of Kotor brew a mild infusion of the plant’s leaves to aid digestion after heavy meals, a use recorded in the Balkan ethnobotany database (Jovanović, 2020).
A simple, safe recipe: 1 g of dried Sideritis hirsuta leaves per 200 mL of boiling water. Steep for 8 minutes, strain, and drink warm. The tea can be taken up to three times daily; pregnant women should avoid more than one cup per day, and individuals with a history of gastric ulcers should consult a healthcare professional before use.
Phytochemical analysis shows that the leaves contain rosmarinic acid, flavonoids such as luteolin and apigenin, and essential oils rich in 1,8‑cineole and α‑pinene. These compounds are known for their anti‑inflammatory, antioxidant, and mild antimicrobial properties, which likely underlie the plant’s traditional use for colds, coughs, and digestive discomfort.
Modern research continues to explore Sideritis hirsuta’s bioactive profile, and the plant is available in dried leaf form in specialty herbal shops and online marketplaces, keeping its age‑old therapeutic legacy alive.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Essential oil, distilled from fresh aerial parts, used in fragrance and cosmetics.
- Dried herb (aerial parts) sold as a flavoring ingredient for herbal tea blends and as a culinary herb.
- Fresh plants cultivated as ornamental specimens for rock‑garden and landscaping use.
Industrial and craft applications:
- The essential oil is employed as a natural fragrance component in perfumes, soaps, detergents and other scented products, adhering to IFRA guidelines.
- Laboratory assays have demonstrated the oil’s insect‑repellent and insecticidal activity against stored‑product insects, suggesting potential use in natural pest‑management formulations.
- Cultivated plants are used in ornamental horticulture for their silvery‑green foliage and attractive inflorescences.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- Dried Sideritis hirsuta herb is marketed as a culinary flavoring for herbal tea blends; the product is presented solely for taste, with no health claims.
- The herb is occasionally used as a seasoning in regional Mediterranean dishes, contributing a mild herbal aroma.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- The oil’s composition—dominated by monoterpenes (α‑pinene, β‑pinene, 1,8‑cineole) and sesquiterpenes—provides a fresh, herbaceous scent suitable for perfumes, colognes, scented soaps, lotions and other cosmetic formulations.
Properties relevant to use:
- Chemical profile: major constituents α‑pinene, β‑pinene, 1,8‑cineole, camphor and various sesquiterpenes, which together confer a characteristic aroma.
- Demonstrated antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, relevant for preservation in cosmetic products.
- Oil yield typically 0.5–1.5 % (w/w) from fresh aerial parts, supporting commercial extraction.
Standards and regulation:
- IFRA (International Fragrance Association) guidelines (latest revision 2019) set maximum allowable concentrations for α‑pinene, β‑pinene and 1,8‑cineole in consumer fragrance products.
- EU Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 governs the use of essential oils as flavoring substances in foods.
- ISO 11014‑1 specifies sampling, preparation and analytical methods for essential‑oil quality assessment.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Wild harvesting of the species occurs in parts of Greece, Italy and the Balkans, where some local populations are considered vulnerable.
- Sustainable‑harvest practices and small‑scale cultivation trials in Greece aim to reduce pressure on wild stands.
- Genetic diversity is conserved in ex‑situ germplasm collections for future breeding and research.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Sideritis hirsuta subsp. gypsicola | Cirujano, R.Roselló, Stübing & Peris | Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 53: 260 (1995 publ. 1996) |
| Sideritis hirsuta subsp. hirtula | (Brot.) P.Silva | Agron. Lusit. 34: 192 (1972 publ. 1973) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. hirtula | (Brot.) Briq. | Lab. Alp. Mar. 347 1893 |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. maroccana | Coss. ex Batt. | Contr. Fl. Atl. 69. 1919 |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. nivalis | Font Quer | Butl. Inst. Catalana Hist. Nat. 24: 32 1924 |
| Sideritis hirsuta subsp. nivalis | (Font Quer) Socorro, I.Tarrega & Zafra | Stud. Bot. 3: 268 (1984) |
| Sideritis hirsuta subsp. tomentosa | (Pourr.) Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 1: 584. 1881 (1881) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. tomentosa | (Pourr.) Lapeyr. | Hist. Pl. Pyrenées 330. 1813 |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. vallisoletana | Sennen & Pau | Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 18: 464. 1908 |
| Sideritis hirsuta subsp. vulgaris | (Willk.) Coulomb | Étude Sideritis Français 2: 46 (1999) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. vulgaris | Willk. | Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 17: 284 (1859) |
| Sideritis hirtula | Brot. | Fl. Lusit. 1: 161 (1804) |
| Sideritis hispanica | Mill. | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 7 (1768) |
| Sideritis hyssopifolia var. australis | Coulomb | Étude Sideritis Français 2: 13 (1999) |
| Sideritis hyssopifolia f. corbariensis | Coulomb | Étude Sideritis Français 2: 17 (1999) |
| Sideritis moorei | Peris, Stübing, Jury & Rejdali | Fontqueria 36: 279 (1993) |
| Sideritis nemausensis | Jord. & Fourr. | Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon , n.s., 17: 137 (1869) |
| Sideritis obonisriveraeque | Stübing, Peris, R.Roselló & Cirujano | Fontqueria 44: 41 (1996) |
| Sideritis rossii | Peris, Stübing, Jury & Rejdali | Fontqueria 36: 280 (1993) |
| Sideritis rotundifolia | Willd. ex Benth. | Linnaea 11: 331 (1837) |
| Sideritis scordioides subsp. hirtula | (Brot.) Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 1: 584. 1881 (1881) |
| Sideritis tomentosa | Pourr. | Mém. Acad. Sci. Toulouse 3: 328 (1788) |
| Sideritis tomentosa | Ucria | Nuova Racc. Opusc. Aut. Sicil. 6: 252. 1793 (1793) |
| Sideritis hyssopifolia subsp. hirtula | Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 584. 1881 (1881) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. altilabra | Pau ex Font Quer | Exsicc. (Soc. Cénomane) 1926: n.° 2164. |
| Sideritis vulgaris | (Willk.) Coulomb & J.-M.Tison | Biocosme Mésogéen 27: 121 (2010) |
| Fracastora hirsuta | Bubani | Fl. Pyren. 1: 453 (1897) |
| Stachys rossii | (Peris, Stübing, Jury & Rejdali) Bartolucci, Peruzzi & Soldano | Inform. Bot. Ital. 46: 82 (2014) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. bracteosa | Willk. | Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 17: 284 (1859) |
| Sideritis vulgaris var. bracteosa | (Willk.) B.Bock | Bull. Soc. Bot. Centre-Ouest. Numero Special 42: 370 (2015) |
| Sideritis hirsuta subsp. pourretii | Briq. | Lab. Alp. Mar. : 348 (1893) |
| Sideritis scordioides var. lanata | Benth. | Cat. Pl. Pyrénées : 121 (1826) |
| Sideritis scordioides var. latifolia | Benth. | Cat. Pl. Pyrénées : 121 (1826) |
| Sideritis hyssopifolia var. minor | Lapeyr. | Hist. Pl. Pyrénées , Suppl.: 81 (1818) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. latidens | Font Quer | Mem. Real Acad. Ci. Barcelona , ser. 3, 22(18): 19 (1931) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. microphylla | Sennen | Bol. Soc. Aragonesa Ci. Nat. 10: 167 (1911) |
| Sideritis hirsuta prol. tomentosa | (Pourr.) Rouy | Fl. Franc. 11: 259 (1909) |
| Sideritis hirsuta var. pourretii | Briq. | Lab. Alp. Mar. : 348 (1893) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Spanish | garranchuela |
| Spanish | sajareña |
| Spanish | sideritide |
| Spanish | siderítide |
| Spanish | te de mariola |
| Spanish | té de mariola |
| Spanish | zahareña basta |
| Spanish | sideritis tomentosa |
| Catalan | herba de la feridura |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Northern Africa
- Morocco
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Northern Africa
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Europe click to expand
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Southeastern Europe
- Italy
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Southwestern Europe
- France
- Portugal
- Spain
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Southeastern Europe
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000310086 |
| Tropicos | 17600353 |
| INPN | 123249 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:458935-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-191295 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 7629238 |
| Observations.org | 128058 |
| IPNI | 458935-1 |
| iNaturalist | 209481 |
| iNaturalist | 209482 |
| GBIF | 7307698 |
| EPPO | SIEHI |
| Elurikkus | 597235 |
| USDA GRIN | 407623 |
| CMAUP | NPO12686 |
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)!
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ent-Kauranoid derivatives from Sideritis moorei. | Ghoumari H, Benajiba MH, Azmani A, García-Granados A, Martínez A, Parra A, Rivas F, Socorro O | Phytochemistry | 01-Jun-2005 |
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| Essential oil of Sideritis hirsuta | Carmen Mateo, Jesús Sanz, José Calderón | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Diterpenoids from Sideritis hirsuta subsp. Nivalis | Eduardo Cabrera, Andrés García-Granados, Antonio Sáenz de Buruaga, Juan M. Sáenz de Buruaga | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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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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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |