Common Name:

General Information

Salvia plebeia is an annual to biennial plant growing from a tap root; it produces one to several, erect stems 12 - 90cm tall, the stems can be unbranched or branched near the base[, ].
The planIt is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Asia - widespread from Iran and through India, eastern and southern China to the Russian Far East and Japan; northeast Australia

Habitat

Wet places, especially by paddy fields[]. Open moist ground at elevations of 100 - 1000 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[]. Prefers a rich soil[]. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus, but this species is likely to tolerate much wetter conditions if its native habitat is anything to go by.
Requires a very well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position[]. Prefers a rich soil[]. Plants can be killed by excessive winter wet[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Leaves[]. No more details are given.

Flowers[]. No more details are given.

The seed is used as a condiment like mustard[, ].

Several Salvia species in the Americas (see Salvia hispanica for example), especially those in Mexico, are valued for their seeds. These become mucilaginous when soaked in water and are widely used to make refreshing drinks. In addition, the seeds of some of these species are often also used as a food, being ground into a powder and used in making biscuits, soups etc, or sprouted and used in salads.
Various other species of Salvia, such as this one, also have seeds that become strongly mucilaginous upon wetting. It has been suggested that many of these could also be used in the same ways as the species from the Americas[].

Medicinal

The plant is astringent, diuretic and vermifuge[]. A paste of the plant is applied to wounds between the toes caused by prolonged walking barefoot in muddy water[].

Concoctions from the mucilage of the wetted seeds are used medicinally[].
The seeds are said to increase sexual powers[]. They are used in the treatment of diarrhoea, gonorrhoea, menorrhagia and haemorrhoids[].

Other Uses

An extract of the whole plant is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant and skin conditioner[].

Propagation

Seed - sow late spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer.