Sideritis perfoliata

Details Top

Internal ID UUID643fecdb513a1124052214
Scientific name Sideritis perfoliata
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.

Among the peoples of the Greek Aegean islands, dried aerial parts of Sideritis perfoliata (formerly S. syriaca) are steeped as mountain tea; Hanlidou et al. (2004) recorded infusions of the plant for colds, sore throats, and digestive complaints. In central and western Anatolia (Turkey), women and elders drink it as a common household tea to soothe colds and fevers, and Sezik et al. (2001) documented S. perfoliata among Turkish medicinal plants used in decoctions and infusions. On the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, rural informants have used infusions of the herb for colds and upper‑respiratory complaints (Tuttmann, 1971), and across the broader Balkans, dried aerial parts or flowering tops are infused and taken as a wintertime tonic (Everest and Ozturk, 2005).

Mild tea recipe (traditional preparation): Boil 250 ml of water, add 1–2 g of dried aerial parts (leaves, stems, and flowers), cover, and steep 5–8 minutes; strain. Repeat the infusion up to 2–3 times daily during a cold. Use only small amounts of the aerial parts. Pregnant or nursing women should avoid concentrated preparations, and anyone allergic to Lamiaceae (mint family) plants should proceed with caution.

The aerial parts contain flavonoids such as apigenin and luteolin, the phenylpropanoid rosmarinic acid, and a sesquiterpene lactone—14‑deoxy‑11,12‑didehydroandrographolide—along with essential oils dominated by 1,8‑cineole (eucalyptol) and α‑pinene; these constituents have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (Erdemoglu et al., 2003), which plausibly account for the tea’s long‑standing use against colds and upper‑respiratory irritation.

Today, dried Sideritis perfoliata is available as a commercial tea throughout the Balkans, and modern pharmacology continues to investigate its antioxidant and antimicrobial potential (Erdemoglu et al., 2003; Everest and Ozturk, 2005).

General Uses Top

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Common products:
- Essential oil: extracted from dried aerial parts, used as a fragrance ingredient.
- Extracts: concentrated essential‑oil preparations used in perfumery and cosmetics.

Industrial and craft applications:
- The essential oil serves as a fragrance component in fine fragrances, soaps, shampoos, lotions, and household cleaners.
- It is employed in natural candles, incense, and aromatherapy diffusers to impart a fresh, herbaceous scent.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
- Essential oil and extracts are incorporated into perfume blends for top‑note herbaceous accords.
- The oil is used in body lotions, creams, and deodorants to provide a lingering natural fragrance.

Properties relevant to use:
- Essential‑oil yields from dried aerial parts typically range from 0.5 % to 2 % (w/w).
- GC‑MS analyses of samples from several Mediterranean locales report the major constituents as α‑pinene (20–30 % of total oil), β‑pinene (10–15 %), 1,8‑cineole (15–20 %), and camphor (5–10 %); smaller amounts of sesquiterpenes (≤5 %) are also present.
- Total phenolic content, measured as gallic acid equivalents, has been reported in the range of 15–25 mg GAE g⁻¹, contributing to antioxidant capacity and oil stability.

Standards and regulation:
- Production and trade of S. perfoliata essential oil follow International Fragrance Association (IFRA) standards, which set safety limits and usage guidelines.
- Quality control typically includes specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation, and GC‑MS profiling in accordance with ISO 11014 (Essential oils – General requirements) and relevant national pharmacopoeial monographs for essential oils.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- S. perfoliata is a perennial herb native to rocky, calcareous slopes of the Mediterranean, where it forms localized populations.
- Over‑harvesting of wild plants for essential‑oil extraction has been documented in parts of Greece and Turkey, leading to local declines and inclusion in national Red List categories (Vulnerable to Near‑Threatened).
- Conservation measures include ex‑situ cultivation, seed banking, and the establishment of sustainable harvesting guidelines that limit wild collection to a maximum of 5 % of the population per year.
- Programs promoting organic cultivation have been initiated to supply essential‑oil demand while preserving wild habitats.

Scientific/model‑organism use:
- The species is employed in comparative phytochemical studies to profile essential‑oil and phenolic composition across the Sideritis genus, supporting chemotaxonomic differentiation.
- GC‑MS datasets from multiple populations have been deposited in public repositories, facilitating comparative metabolomics within Lamiaceae.
- Population‑genetic analyses using microsatellite markers have been performed to assess gene flow and genetic structure, informing conservation planning for Mediterranean Lamiaceae.
- Preliminary genome‑survey sequencing data are available in public archives, providing a basis for future reference‑genome assembly and comparative genomics within the family.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Navicularia perfoliata (L.) Soják Cas. Nár. Mus., Odd. Prír. 148: 79 (1979 publ. 1980)
Sideritis perfoliata var. condensata Boiss. Fl. Orient. 4: 714. 1879
Stachys perfoliata (L.) Peruzzi, Bartolucci & Soldano Inform. Bot. Ital. 46: 82 (2014)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
Arabic فزر محيطي الأوراق

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Name Authority First published in
Sideritis perfoliata subsp. athoa (Papan. & Kokkini) Baden Mount. Fl. Greece 2: 91 (1991)
Sideritis perfoliata subsp. perfoliata Unknown

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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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
  • Asia-temperate
    • Western Asia
      • Cyprus
      • Lebanon-Syria
      • Palestine
      • Turkey

Links to other databases Top

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Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000310350
Tropicos 17600656
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:459041-1
The Plant List kew-191551
Open Tree Of Life 914836
Observations.org 138249
NCBI Taxonomy 155256
IPNI 459041-1
iNaturalist 782890
GBIF 7307504
EPPO SIEPE
Elurikkus 586234
CMAUP NPO11135

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)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
A systematic methodology to assess the identity of plants in historical texts: A case study based on the Byzantine pharmacy text John the Physician's Therapeutics Lardos A, Patmore K, Allkin R, Lazarou R, Nesbitt M, Scott AC, Zipser B J Ethnopharmacol 25-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC7615571
doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.117622
PMID:38128894
Chemical profile of the Anatolian Sideritis species with bioactivity studies Çarıkçı S, Kılıç T, Gören AC, Dirmenci T, Alim Toraman GÖ, Topçu G Pharm Biol 22-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC11001281
doi:10.1080/13880209.2023.2280253
PMID:37990887
A Multiparametric Protocol for the Detailed Phytochemical and Antioxidant Characterisation of Plant Extracts Michalaki A, Grintzalis K Methods Protoc 05-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10144381
doi:10.3390/mps6020040
PMID:37104022
Quality and Nutritional Parameters of Food in Agri-Food Production Systems Çakmakçı S, Çakmakçı R Foods 11-Jan-2023
PMCID:PMC9857782
doi:10.3390/foods12020351
PMID:36673443
Leucosceptosides A and B: Two Phenyl-Ethanoid Glycosides with Important Occurrence and Biological Activities Frezza C, De Vita D, Toniolo C, Sciubba F, Tomassini L, Venditti A, Bianco A, Serafini M, Foddai S Biomolecules 02-Dec-2022
PMCID:PMC9775335
doi:10.3390/biom12121807
PMID:36551235
Characterization of Sideritis clandestina subsp. peloponnesiaca Polar Glycosides and Phytochemical Comparison to Other Mountain Tea Populations Dimaki VD, Zeliou K, Nakka F, Stavreli M, Bakratsas I, Papaioannou L, Iatrou G, Lamari FN Molecules 06-Nov-2022
PMCID:PMC9658581
doi:10.3390/molecules27217613
PMID:36364439
Essential Oil Content, Antioxidative Characteristics and Enzyme Inhibitory Activity of Sideritis akmanii Aytaç, Ekici & Dönmez AKSOY L, GÜZEY İ, DÜZ M Turk J Pharm Sci 28-Feb-2022
PMCID:PMC8892552
doi:10.4274/tjps.galenos.2021.86422
PMID:35227053
Chemical Profiles, Anticancer, and Anti-Aging Activities of Essential Oils of Pluchea dioscoridis (L.) DC. and Erigeron bonariensis L. Elgamal AM, Ahmed RF, Abd-ElGawad AM, El Gendy AE, Elshamy AI, Nassar MI Plants (Basel) 31-Mar-2021
PMCID:PMC8066341
doi:10.3390/plants10040667
PMID:33807147
Treating Hyperglycemia From Eryngium caeruleum M. Bieb: In-vitro α-Glucosidase, Antioxidant, in-vivo Antidiabetic and Molecular Docking-Based Approaches Sadiq A, Rashid U, Ahmad S, Zahoor M, AlAjmi MF, Ullah R, Noman OM, Ullah F, Ayaz M, Khan I, Islam ZU, Ali W Front Chem 26-Nov-2020
PMCID:PMC7737655
doi:10.3389/fchem.2020.558641
PMID:33335883
Potential anti-influenza effective plants used in Turkish folk medicine: A review Sargin SA J Ethnopharmacol 31-Aug-2020
PMCID:PMC7458060
doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113319
PMID:32882361
Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activity of Endemic Sideritis sipylea Boiss. in North Aegean Greek Islands Axiotis E, Petrakis EA, Halabalaki M, Mitakou S Molecules 26-Apr-2020
PMCID:PMC7248978
doi:10.3390/molecules25092022
PMID:32357535
Antioxidants Properties of Natural Products: A Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira Barros L Antioxidants (Basel) 28-Mar-2020
PMCID:PMC7222204
doi:10.3390/antiox9040286
PMID:32231030
Phenolic Profile and Bioactivities of Sideritis perfoliata L.: The Plant, Its Most Active Extract, and Its Broad Biological Properties Sarikurkcu C, Locatelli M, Mocan A, Zengin G, Kirkan B Front Pharmacol 14-Feb-2020
PMCID:PMC7034418
doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.01642
PMID:32116669
Natural Products and Synthetic Analogs as a Source of Antitumor Drugs Sharifi-Rad J, Ozleyen A, Boyunegmez Tumer T, Oluwaseun Adetunji C, El Omari N, Balahbib A, Taheri Y, Bouyahya A, Martorell M, Martins N, C. Cho W Biomolecules 01-Nov-2019
PMCID:PMC6920853
doi:10.3390/biom9110679
PMID:31683894
Sideritis Perfoliata (Subsp. Perfoliata) Nutritive Value and Its Potential Medicinal Properties Lall N, Chrysargyris A, Lambrechts I, Fibrich B, Blom Van Staden A, Twilley D, de Canha MN, Oosthuizen CB, Bodiba D, Tzortzakis N Antioxidants (Basel) 30-Oct-2019
PMCID:PMC6912803
doi:10.3390/antiox8110521
PMID:31671566

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
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives
Syringic Acid 10742 Click to see 198.17 unknown via CMAUP database
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Methoxybenzoic acids and derivatives / M-methoxybenzoic acids and derivatives
Vanillic Acid 8468 Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C(=O)O)O 168.15 unknown via CMAUP database
> Benzenoids / Phenols / Methoxyphenols
Syringaldehyde 8655 Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1O)OC)C=O 182.17 unknown via CMAUP database
> Hydrocarbons / Unsaturated hydrocarbons / Branched unsaturated hydrocarbons
Gamma-Terpinene 7461 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
> Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans
Syringaresinol, (+)- 443023 Click to see 418.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Acyclic monoterpenoids
beta-Ocimene, (3Z)- 5320250 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Linalool 6549 Click to see 154.25 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Myrcene 31253 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Aromatic monoterpenoids
P-Cymene 7463 Click to see 134.22 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Bicyclic monoterpenoids
(+-)-alpha-Pinene 6654 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
alpha-Thujene 17868 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Beta-Pinene 14896 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Sabinene 18818 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Menthane monoterpenoids
4-Terpineol, (+/-)- 11230 Click to see CC1=CCC(CC1)(C(C)C)O 154.25 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Alpha-Terpinene 7462 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Limonene, (+/-)- 22311 Click to see CC1=CCC(CC1)C(=C)C 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Terpinolene 11463 Click to see 136.23 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids
(-)-alpha-Curcumene 442360 Click to see 202.33 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Caryophyllene 5281515 Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C2CC(C2CC1)(C)C 204.35 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
Curcumene 92139 Click to see 202.33 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(95)00601-X
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides / Iridoid O-glycosides
[(1S,4aR,7S,7aS)-5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-7-yl] acetate 23640094 Click to see 390.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
[5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-7-yl] acetate 14355412 Click to see CC(=O)OC1(CC(C2C1C(OC=C2)OC3C(C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O)O)C 390.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
(3R,4aR,6aS,9S,10aS,10bR)-3-ethenyl-3,4a,7,7,10a-pentamethyl-2,5,6,6a,8,9,10,10b-octahydro-1H-benzo[f]chromen-9-ol 21593578 Click to see 306.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)80713-X
(3R,4aS,6aR,9R,10aR,10bS)-3-ethenyl-3,4a,7,7,10a-pentamethyl-2,5,6,6a,8,9,10,10b-octahydro-1H-benzo[f]chromen-9-ol 21680741 Click to see 306.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)80713-X
3-ethenyl-3,4a,7,7,10a-pentamethyl-2,5,6,6a,8,9,10,10b-octahydro-1H-benzo[f]chromen-9-ol 73809949 Click to see 306.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)80713-X
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives
(-)-beta-Sitosterol 222284 Click to see 414.70 unknown via CMAUP database
6beta-Hydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one 9823926 Click to see 428.70 unknown via CMAUP database
Stigmast-4-en-3-one 5484202 Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CCC4=CC(=O)CCC34C)C)C(C)C 412.70 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Oligosaccharides
[4-[4,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-3-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethoxy]-5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl] (Z)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoate 131752795 Click to see 756.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
CID 14034195 14034195 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(OC(C2OC(=O)C=CC3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)CO)OCCC4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)OC5C(C(C(CO5)O)O)O)O)O 756.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Azolidines / Imidazolidines / Hydantoins
(5E)-5-[[(3R,4S)-4-ethyl-5-oxooxolan-3-yl]methylidene]-1-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione 11499651 Click to see CCC1C(COC1=O)C=C2C(=O)NC(=O)N2C 238.24 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Quinolines and derivatives / Furanoquinolines
Dictamnine 68085 Click to see 199.20 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Quinolines and derivatives / Quinolones and derivatives / Hydroquinolones
4-methoxy-N-methyl-2-quinolone 182073 Click to see 189.21 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives / Coumaric acids and derivatives
[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethoxy]-5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl] (E)-3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoate 6476334 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(OC(C2OC(=O)C=CC3=CC(=C(C=C3)OC)O)CO)OCCC4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O)O 638.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
[6-[2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethoxy]-5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-3-yl] 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoate 74027662 Click to see 638.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl 3-O-(6-Deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)-4-O-[(2E)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoyl]-beta-D-glucopyranoside 132274946 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(OC(C2OC(=O)C=CC3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)CO)OCCC4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O)O 624.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054633
https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
Martynoside 5319292 Click to see 652.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
Verbascoside 5281800 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(OC(C2OC(=O)C=CC3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)CO)OCCC4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O)O 624.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054633
https://doi.org/10.1002/PTR.2333
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Furanocoumarins / Angular furanocoumarins
(8S)-5-hydroxy-8-prop-1-en-2-yl-8,9-dihydrofuro[2,3-h]chromen-2-one 44310181 Click to see 244.24 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins
3-(1,1-Dimethylallyl)scopoletin 5377569 Click to see CC(C)(C=C)C1=CC2=CC(=C(C=C2OC1=O)O)OC 260.28 unknown via CMAUP database
Scopoletin 5280460 Click to see 192.17 unknown via CMAUP database

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