Salvia dominica

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Salvia dominica is a plant species of the genus sage (Salvia) in the family of lip-flower (Lamiaceae). The aromatic-scented half-bush is rarely used as an ornamental plant and is hardy in Central Europe only to a limited extent.

Description

Vegetative characteristics
Salvia dominica is an aromatically fragrant, highly branched half-bush that reaches a height of 1 m. The plant is almost evergreen in the subtropical climate. All aerial plant parts are whitish haired, especially the inflorescences. The short stemmed, simple foliage leaves arranged in a cross-opposite manner are elongate, egg-shaped to triangular with trimmed-off leave base, about 5 cm long and toothed or sawn at the edge. The wrinkled leaf surface is more or less corrugated, usually white-filty haired and therefore of grey-green color.

Generative characteristics
The upright, branched stems bear many white, yellowish overflowing flowers at their ends, often with a brown drawing on the lower lip. The flowering period at the nature site is from February to May. For fruit ripeness, the sticky chalice leaves enlarge. The clover fruits are hairless, elliptical to spherical.

Ecology
Ecologically, Salvia dominica has pre-male “actual lip flowers” that offer nectar. The pollinators are mainly real bees such as mackerel bees, longhorn bees and wood bees, and mortar and leaf-cutter bees such as the black mortar bee.

Occurrence
Salvia dominica is widespread in Western Asia in Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Arabian Peninsula in the summer-dry to semi-arid climate, is partly stock-forming and is often found with Ballota undulata from the genus Black Negroes. The species inhabits sunny, rather meager locations of the Mediterranean shrub landscapes and half steppe bushes on calcareous soils.

Use
Despite its aromatic fragrance and tolerance to drought, Salvia dominica has rarely been used as an ornamental plant. For example, it can be planted in stone plants and rock steppes with dry soil and goes well with rosemary and grey-leaved catnips. The plant is considered conditionally hardy to −11 °C (zone 8).

In 2009, a group of Italian and Jordanian researchers isolated 24 previously unknown sesterterpenes from the aerial parts of Salvia dominica, most of which possess pharmacological properties. They inhibit certain enzymes that are particularly active in cancer cells and can therefore have a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. This property is of interest for new therapeutic strategies in the fight against cancer.

Systematic classification
Salvia dominica was first published in 1753 by Carl von Linné in Species Plantarum, p. He mistakenly assumed that the plant was native to the West Indies and named it dominica after the then Spanish province of Santo Domingo