Salvia mexicana
StarSalvia mexicana
Synonyms: Salvia melissifolia, Salvia amethystina, Salvia mexicana var. minor, Sclarea mexicana, Hemistegia mexicana, Salvia mexicana var. major, Salvia nitidifolia, Jungia altissima, Salvia papilionacea, Salvia lupulina, Salvia mexicana f. minor
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Salvia mexicana is among the more widely used sages in Mexican traditional medicine, employed against a range of complaints, especially disorders of the digestive system; the aerial parts (leaves) are prepared as an infusion and taken for pain in south-central Mexico, including Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Morelos, Chiapas and the Yucatan (Jenks and Kim, 2013; Martinez, 1989).
Botanical Description
Salvia mexicana, the Mexican sage, is an erect, branching perennial subshrub of the family Lamiaceae native to central and southern Mexico, reaching about 1 to 3 metres tall. It has the square stems characteristic of the mint family and opposite, ovate to deltoid leaves with toothed margins and pointed tips, dark green and somewhat aromatic. The flowers are borne in interrupted terminal spike-like racemes (verticillasters) and are large and showy, with a two-lipped corolla typically deep violet-blue to purple-blue emerging from a green to purplish calyx, sometimes contrasting with chartreuse or green calyces in cultivated forms. As in other sages the flowers are adapted for pollination by bees and hummingbirds, and the fruit comprises four small nutlets enclosed in the persistent calyx. It grows in oak and pine-oak woodland, scrub and rocky slopes of the Mexican highlands and is cultivated as a robust ornamental sage.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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