Salvia verticillata L. in the Czech Republic – variability of morphological characteristics, seed quality and essential oil content

Abstract

Lilac sage (Whorled sage), as one of the medicinal plants chosen as perspective for the recultivation of flowering meadows in the Czech Republic, was studied for the variability of its morphological cha­rac­ters, seed quality and content of essential oil. Seven particular populations of this genus were stu­died in the Czech Republic and there were found statistically significant differences in morphological characters (height and width of plants, length and width of leaves and length of inflorescences) but not in the content of the essential oil. Studied populations reached only between 0.028 and 0.072% of essential oil in dry mass and also the quality of seeds was found very low (germination between 0–52%) in the seeds from natural localities but this fact could be influenced by testing method.

Keywords

• Lilac sage
• Whorled clary
• content of essential oil
• germination
• variability
• biodiversity