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 | Clary (Wild) Other Names: Vervain Sage. Oculus Christi
Botanical Name: Salvia Verbenaca
Family: N.O. Labiatae |
Description: |
| The perennial root is woody, thick and long, the stem 1 to 2 feet high, erect and with the leaves in distant pairs, the lower shortly stalked, and the upper ones stalkless. The radical leaves lie in a rosette and have foot-stalks 1 1/2 to 4 inches long, their blades about the same length, oblong in shape, blunt at their ends and heart-shaped at the base, wavy at the margins, which are generally indented by five or six shallow, blunt lobes on each side, and their surfaces much wrinkled. The whole plant is aromatic, especially when rubbed, and is rendered conspicuous by its long spike of purplish-blue flowers, first dense, afterwards becoming rather lax. The whorls of the spike are sixflowered, and at the base of each flower are two heart-shaped, fringed, pointed bracts. The calyx is much larger than the corolla. The plant is in bloom from June to August. The seeds are smooth, and like the Garden Clary produce a great quantity of soft, tasteless mucilage, when moistened. Because, if put under the eyelids for a few moments, the tears dissolve this mucilage, which envelopes any dust and brings it out safely, old writers called this plant 'Oculus Christi,' or 'Christ's Eye.' |
Habitat: |
| Salvia Verbenaca, the Wild English Clary, or Vervain Sage, is a native of all parts of Europe and not uncommon in England in dry pastures and on roadsides, banks and waste ground, especially near the sea, or on chalky soil. It is a smaller plant than the Garden Clary, but its medicinal virtues are rather more powerful. |
Medicinal Usage: |
'A decoction of the leaves,' says Culpepper, 'being drank, warms the stomach, also it helps digestion and scatters congealed blood in any part of the body.'
This Clary was thought to be more efficacious to the eye than the Garden variety.
'The distilled water strengthening the eyesight, especially of old people,' says Culpepper, 'cleaneth the eyes of redness waterishness and heat: it is a gallant remedy for dimness of sight, to take one of the seeds of it and put it into the eyes, and there let it remain till it drops out of itself, the pain will be nothing to speak on: it will cleanse the eyes of all filthy and putrid matter; and repeating it will take off a film which covereth the sight.' |
Ancient Lore: |
CLARY (Wild)
Wild Clary is most blasphemously called Christ's eye, because it cures diseases ol the eyes. 1 could wish from my soul that blasphemy, ignorance and tyranny were ceased among physicians, that they might be happy and joyful.
It is like the Garden Clary, but smaller with many stalks about 18 inches (46 cm) high. The stalks are square and hairy and the flowers are a bluish colour.
Where to find it: Dryish pastures, on waste ground and at the roadside.
Flowering time: Summer.
Astrology: It is under the dominion of the Moon.
Medicinal virtues: The seeds beaten to powder and drunk with wine is. an admirable help to provoke lust. A decoction of the leaves warms the stomach, helps digestion and scatters congealed blood in any part of the body.
The distilled water cleanseth the eyes of redness, waterishness and heat. For dimness of sight take one of its seeds, put it into the eye and let it remain until it drops out of itself. The pain will be nothing to speak of. It will cleanse the eyes and in oft repeating it, will take off a film which covereth the sight - a handsome, safer and easier remedy than to tear it off with a needle.
Modern uses: Both the Wild and the Garden Clary are members of the Sage family. Their properties are similar, but the wild variety is considered to be more potent. The seed is mucilaginous, and some herbalists use the mucilage to sooth the eye. |
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