Salvia nubicola
Encyclopedia
Salvia nubicola is a herbaceous perennial native to a wide region that includes Afghanistan
, Bhutan
, India
, Pakistan
, southwest Asia
, and Europe
. The plant grows at elevations of 2000 to 4300 m (6,561.7 to 14,107.6 ft) in dry forests, especially Pinus wallichiana, often growing in large colonies in woodland clearings. It is especially common in the Muktinath Valley
, and is used in traditional Tibetan medicine
.
The specific epithet nubicola means "dweller among the clouds", referring to its high mountain habitat. For many years, it was considered the same plant as the similar European "Sticky sage" (Salvia glutinosa
).
Salvia nubicola reaches 3 feet high and wide, growing upright, with fresh-green colored leaves that are triangular shaped, with the largest (5 inches) growing at the base of the plant. The petiole
is typically about the same length as the leaf blade. The plant puts out numerous 10 inch long inflorescence
s holding pale yellow flowers, in whorls of two to six, that have finely spotted maroon markings on the upper lip. The calyx is bright green, hairy, sticky, and glandular, giving off a medicinal odor when rubbed, described by one author as "resembling the distinct odour of a billy-goat", all of which cause animals to avoid it in its native habitat.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The plant grows at elevations of 2000 to 4300 m (6,561.7 to 14,107.6 ft) in dry forests, especially Pinus wallichiana, often growing in large colonies in woodland clearings. It is especially common in the Muktinath Valley
Muktinath
Muktinath is a sacred place both for Hindus and Buddhists located in Muktinath Valley at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass , Mustang district, Nepal...
, and is used in traditional Tibetan medicine
Traditional Tibetan medicine
Traditional Tibetan medicine is a centuries-old traditional medical system that employs a complex approach to diagnosis, incorporating techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and utilizes behavior and dietary modification, medicines composed of natural materials and physical therapies...
.
The specific epithet nubicola means "dweller among the clouds", referring to its high mountain habitat. For many years, it was considered the same plant as the similar European "Sticky sage" (Salvia glutinosa
Salvia glutinosa
Salvia glutinosa is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family.-Description: Salvia glutinosa grows to approximately tall...
).
Salvia nubicola reaches 3 feet high and wide, growing upright, with fresh-green colored leaves that are triangular shaped, with the largest (5 inches) growing at the base of the plant. The petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
is typically about the same length as the leaf blade. The plant puts out numerous 10 inch long inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s holding pale yellow flowers, in whorls of two to six, that have finely spotted maroon markings on the upper lip. The calyx is bright green, hairy, sticky, and glandular, giving off a medicinal odor when rubbed, described by one author as "resembling the distinct odour of a billy-goat", all of which cause animals to avoid it in its native habitat.