Salvia tingitana
Encyclopedia
Salvia tingitana is an herbaceous perennial in the family Lamiaceae
. It has a long and enigmatic history—it has been grown and described since the 17th century without any certainty about its origin. Botanists' speculation that it was native to northern Africa is reflected in the specific epithet tingitana, which refers to the town of "Tingi" (now called Tangiers), even though no native plants have ever been found there. It was not until 1989 that a wild population of the plant was discovered, in western Saudi Arabia
.
The flowers are bi-colored, growing less than 1 inches (2.5 cm) long. The upper lip is a very pale lavender color and falcate; the lower lip is shorter and a very pale yellow color. The calyx is 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) long and covered with hair. The flowers grow in whorls that are subtended with floral leaves. The many-branched inflorescences reach 1 foot (0.3048 m) long, with several coming into bloom at the same time, giving a very dramatic effect.
grows in a very limited area of Mexico, where it has been cultivated for centuries by the Mazatec Indians for its psychotropic properties. S. buchaninii
has been grown in horticulture for many years, with all known plants descending from a single plant grown in a Mexico City garden.
S. tingitana was described and named in 1777 by Andreas Ernst Etlinger, though it was known for at least eighty years prior to that, and possibly as soon as the early 17th century. A study in 2008 by Foley, Hedge, and Möller compared old herbarium specimens and drawings in order to understand the plant's confusing history. The earliest record of S. tingitana that they could verify was a specimen from the late 1690s in the Paris herbarium
from the collection of Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
, who described it as "Sclarea tingitana foetidissima hirsuta, flore albo". He gave no information about its provenance other than "habitat in Africa". He travelled to Madrid, Seville, and Cadiz in 1688, so it is possible he collected it from one of those places. From the name he gave to the plant, it is likely he believed it was from north Africa.
Earlier mentions of the plant are scattered and unreliable. Prospero Alpini
described a plant (Marum aegyptium) in his De Plantis Exoticis Libri Duo (1627) that might be S. tingitana, based on his description and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
's listing (in 1805) of Marum aegyptium as a synonym for S. foetida, itself a synonym for S. tingitana. In 1690, Rivinus
published a drawing of a plant named Horminum tingitanum (pictured), which was the first time the name tingitana was associated with Salvia. Since Rivinus' herbarium no longer exists it isn't possible to confirm that his specimen was S. tingitana.
In 1759 Arduino, prefect of the Padua Botanical Garden
, described a 'new' plant with the polynomial name "Salvia caule fruticoso, foliis ovato-sinuatis, crenatis, rugosis, hirsutis". Based on his description and an illustration, this is probably the first full description of S. tingitana. When Etlinger described and named S. tingitana in 1777 in his Commentatio Botanico-Medica de Salvia, he referred to both Tournefort's and Rivinus' earlier descriptions. Around the turn of the 18th century, S. tingitana was written about more frequently—Carl Ludwig Willdenow
(1797) described seeing the plant at the Berlin Botanical Garden, and Lamarck described it in 1805. Other notable botanists who wrote about it at the time included Martin Vahl
(1804–1805) and Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1805).
, S. argentea
, S. praecox, and S. coarctata. Some of those species have also been considered as close allies with S. tingitana, along with S. spinosa and S. desoleana
. As recently as the 1980s and 1990s, some botanists (Rosúa (1988) & Alziar (1993)) argued that S. tingitana is just a cultivated form of S. sclarea and should be considered a synonym of it.
However, recent chromosome analysis of Salvia species shows that S. tingitana is a distinct species. S. tingitana shows a chromosome count of 2n=42, which is unusual (though not unique) for the Salvia genus. Far more common are 2n=14, 16, 20, and 22. Only one other species so far, S. merjamie
, has been conclusively shown to have a chromosome count of 2n=42. S. sclarea, on the other hand, has a count of 2n=22 chromosomes. Further comparison between S. tingitana and possible related species was done using mucilage testing. Those tests also indicated S. tingitana to be a unique species.
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
. It has a long and enigmatic history—it has been grown and described since the 17th century without any certainty about its origin. Botanists' speculation that it was native to northern Africa is reflected in the specific epithet tingitana, which refers to the town of "Tingi" (now called Tangiers), even though no native plants have ever been found there. It was not until 1989 that a wild population of the plant was discovered, in western Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Description
S. tingitana reaches about 2 foot (0.6096 m) in height and width, forming an upright mound with numerous square, leafy stems. The leaves are graduated in size, reaching up to 6 inches (15.2 cm) long and 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide, and are an unusual pale lime-green color. The upper leaf surface is very rugose, while the underside has prominent veins with a few long hairs growing along the center vein. Glands on the leaf give off a very pungent odor when the leaf is brushed. The leaves are ovate with irregular wavy edges. The petiole has a few long hairs growing on it.The flowers are bi-colored, growing less than 1 inches (2.5 cm) long. The upper lip is a very pale lavender color and falcate; the lower lip is shorter and a very pale yellow color. The calyx is 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) long and covered with hair. The flowers grow in whorls that are subtended with floral leaves. The many-branched inflorescences reach 1 foot (0.3048 m) long, with several coming into bloom at the same time, giving a very dramatic effect.
Cultivation
S. tingitana prefers at least five hours of sunlight per day, well-draining soil that is not too rich, and regular watering. Minimal care is required—only light pruning and no staking. It can survive temperatures as low as 20 °F (-6.7 °C) for short periods. Plants are typically propagated through seeds, though cuttings taken in late summer can also be used. It takes up to one year for the plant to become established, not blooming until the second year. The lime-green leaves, shapely upright habit, and profuse flowering make it a useful addition to perennial flower beds.Distribution
At various times in its long history Salvia tingitana has been associated with Egypt, Syria, Aleppo, Tunis, and Tangier, without any definitive source of its origin or native populations. In 1989 the first wild population of S. tingitana was discovered in western Saudi Arabia by English botanist Sheila Collenette. Two other salvia species have a similar obscure historical origin, with no known wild provenance. S. divinorumSalvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant which can induce dissociative effects and is a potent producer of "visions" and other hallucinatory experiences...
grows in a very limited area of Mexico, where it has been cultivated for centuries by the Mazatec Indians for its psychotropic properties. S. buchaninii
Salvia buchananii
Salvia buchananii is a herbaceous perennial shrub that isn't currently known in the wild, but is presumed to be from Mexico. Seed from a garden plant in Mexico City was taken to England around 1960, where it was grown by Sir Charles Buchanan. It is sometimes called Buchanan's fuchsia sage...
has been grown in horticulture for many years, with all known plants descending from a single plant grown in a Mexico City garden.
History
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
from the collection of Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort was a French botanist, notable as the first to make a clear definition of the concept of genus for plants.- Biography :...
, who described it as "Sclarea tingitana foetidissima hirsuta, flore albo". He gave no information about its provenance other than "habitat in Africa". He travelled to Madrid, Seville, and Cadiz in 1688, so it is possible he collected it from one of those places. From the name he gave to the plant, it is likely he believed it was from north Africa.
Earlier mentions of the plant are scattered and unreliable. Prospero Alpini
Prospero Alpini
Prospero Alpini , was a Venetian physician and botanist....
described a plant (Marum aegyptium) in his De Plantis Exoticis Libri Duo (1627) that might be S. tingitana, based on his description and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
's listing (in 1805) of Marum aegyptium as a synonym for S. foetida, itself a synonym for S. tingitana. In 1690, Rivinus
Augustus Quirinus Rivinus
Augustus Quirinus Rivinus , also known as August Bachmann, was a German physician and botanist.He was born in Leipzig, Germany, and studied at the University of Leipzig , continued his studies in the University of Helmstedt...
published a drawing of a plant named Horminum tingitanum (pictured), which was the first time the name tingitana was associated with Salvia. Since Rivinus' herbarium no longer exists it isn't possible to confirm that his specimen was S. tingitana.
In 1759 Arduino, prefect of the Padua Botanical Garden
Padua Botanical Garden
The Orto Botanico di Padova is a botanical garden in Padua, northern Italy. Founded in 1545, it is the world's oldest academic botanical garden that is still in its original location The garden, affiliated with the University of Padua, currently covers roughly 22,000 square meters, and is known...
, described a 'new' plant with the polynomial name "Salvia caule fruticoso, foliis ovato-sinuatis, crenatis, rugosis, hirsutis". Based on his description and an illustration, this is probably the first full description of S. tingitana. When Etlinger described and named S. tingitana in 1777 in his Commentatio Botanico-Medica de Salvia, he referred to both Tournefort's and Rivinus' earlier descriptions. Around the turn of the 18th century, S. tingitana was written about more frequently—Carl Ludwig Willdenow
Carl Ludwig Willdenow
Carl Ludwig Willdenow was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants...
(1797) described seeing the plant at the Berlin Botanical Garden, and Lamarck described it in 1805. Other notable botanists who wrote about it at the time included Martin Vahl
Martin Vahl (botanist)
Martin Henrichsen Vahl was a Danish-Norwegian botanist and zoologist.He studied botany in Copenhagen and in Uppsala under Carolus Linnaeus. He edited Flora Danica fasc. XVI-XXI , Symbolæ Botanicæ I-III , Eclogæ Americanæ I-IV and Enumeratio Plantarum I-II...
(1804–1805) and Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1805).
Taxonomy
S. tingitana has been confused with other species at times, especially with S. sclarea, but also with S. disermasSalvia disermas
Salvia disermas is a herbaceous perennial shrub native to South Africa, found in streambeds, moist forest, grassland, and disturbed ground. It was originally specified as rugosa, but was changed to disermas...
, S. argentea
Salvia argentea
Salvia argentea is a biennial or short-lived perennial plant that is native to an area in southern Europe from Portugal to Bulgaria. Its specific epithet, argentea, refers to the silvery leaves.-Description:S. argentea has a large spread of basal leaves that measure wide and high...
, S. praecox, and S. coarctata. Some of those species have also been considered as close allies with S. tingitana, along with S. spinosa and S. desoleana
Salvia desoleana
Salvia desoleana is a herbaceous perennial shrub native to the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean. It is endemic to four or five specific locations on the island in sunny locations on limestone, granitic, and igneous rock...
. As recently as the 1980s and 1990s, some botanists (Rosúa (1988) & Alziar (1993)) argued that S. tingitana is just a cultivated form of S. sclarea and should be considered a synonym of it.
However, recent chromosome analysis of Salvia species shows that S. tingitana is a distinct species. S. tingitana shows a chromosome count of 2n=42, which is unusual (though not unique) for the Salvia genus. Far more common are 2n=14, 16, 20, and 22. Only one other species so far, S. merjamie
Salvia merjamie
Salvia merjamie is a herbaceous perennial plant that is native to the east African highlands from Ethiopia to Tanzania, and also across the Red Sea in Yemen. It grows between 6,000 and 13,000 feet elevation in grasslands, forest edges, rocky outcrops, basalt slopes, and fallow fields...
, has been conclusively shown to have a chromosome count of 2n=42. S. sclarea, on the other hand, has a count of 2n=22 chromosomes. Further comparison between S. tingitana and possible related species was done using mucilage testing. Those tests also indicated S. tingitana to be a unique species.