seeds of Salvia militiorrhiza, known as red sage, chinese sage, hardy Sage

Red sage - Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds

 

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a perennial tree from genus Salvia of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly referred to as Red Sage or Danshen in Chinese and is a small tree that is widely known to cure several diseases in China and Japan. Its synonym is Salvia pogonocalyx Hance. It is native to China. Both roots and the leaves of this plant are very valuable to the people of China and others who use it globally. In China, it is popularly called medicinal herb.

Danshen is a small tree that is rich in flowers and has a recurring life span. The plant is affected by drought and therefore is only found on hillsides, grassy area, in the forest or along the banks of the river. In China, it is majorly found in southwest and west province. Danshen plant is deciduous and grows to a maximum height of 65cm tall. The tree has evergreen soft to touch leaves that are divided solely on how the stem is positioned. Salvia miltiorrhiza has flowers whose petals are blue-purple with a dark purple calyx that holds them.

Salvia miltiorrhiza has both male and female parts, which are majorly pollinated by the insects to allow the reproduction. The flowers of the plant have nectar that attracts more insect during the pollination, after which they dry up to produce seed. The seeds sprout and the growth recurs.

Danshen is majorly used as a medicine globally. All its parts; the leaves stem and the roots are essential when it comes to medication and they are also treated differently. The remedies of Salvia miltiorrhiza is used to treat several diseases like the blood clotting problems, hypertension and many more some of which are life-threatening. Even though it is popular for being a medicinal herb, Salvia miltiorrhiza should only be prescribed by the professionals because if taken in high dose, it can result to very severe side effects like difficulty in breathing, numbness and many other unusual symptoms. The symptoms, however, disappear with time if not interrupted with other treatments. The leaves of this plant are a good browse to some domestic animals.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is not just a medicinal herb but a medicine that is mostly prescribed by the doctors to the patients. Because of this, the plant, in the current years, has been reported to be scarce due to its demand. It is a caution to use the herbs of this plant in excess levels because its high concentration in the body is regarded very toxic.