SAGE, Salvia, a genus of plants of the natural order /41,b04.8, and containing many species, herbaceous, nail half-shrubby. There are only two perfect stamens, the file meats of which bear at their summit a cross thread—the much elongated mina:tire fastened by it joint, and having one cell of the anther at the upper end, and the other bat imperfect cell at the other end. The seeds of many of the species, when steeped in water, hecome covered with a tnucilaginous slime like quince seieds.—COMMON SAGO, or SAGg (S. oftelaalls), grows on sunny mountain slopes and rocks in the s. of Europe, and has long been in general cultivation iu gardens. It is a half-shrubby plant, seldom more than two ft. high, with ovate-oblong or lanceolate. finely notched, curiously wrinkled, whitish-gray leaves, and racemes of pu•plish-blue, rarely white or red flowers. The whole plant has a peculiar, strong, penetrating aromatic smell, somewhat that of camphor, an.I a bitterish, aromatic,•somewhat astringent taste. It contains much essential oil (oil of siege), which leas been sometimes used in liniments for rheumatism.
Sale,lea vas are much used in flavoring dishes, and in sauces, etc. The leaves and young shoots are used for astringent tonic gargles, Sage tea, made of the dried leaves and shoots, is a popular astringent and tonic. Sage grows best in a dry soil, and is easily propa gated by slips or cuttings.—Clary (q,v.) is a species of sage.—MEADOW CLADY, or MEADOW SAGE (S. peafensis), is a common ornament of meadows and borders of fields in most parts of the continent of Europa, and in the s. of England. It hes bluish-purple flowers. It is sometimes fraudulently put itto beer, to make it more intoxicating.— The APPLE-BgARING SAGE (S. pow:fern) is a native of the s. of Europe and of the east, remarkable for its very huge reddish or purple bracts, and for the large gall-nuts which grow on its branches, as on the leaves of the oak, and which arc known as sage apples, have au agreeable aromatic taste, and are brought to market and eaten.—Some of the species of salvia have very beautiful flowers, and are prized ornaments of gardens and green-houses.