Author: آمنه غلامی 
Salvia eremophila Boiss.
Leila Falah Hoseini, Mohammad Dadmand and Mehri Dinarvand
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at December 2025
Scientific editor: Parvin Salehi Shanjani
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15-20% eRH, and store at -20°C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species are not dormant. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds for two weeks at 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Achene
Fruit shape: Obovoid, dorsal side round, ventral side slightly flat, apex round, base narrowed, hilum lateral, round. Surface finely granular, shiny, glabrous, dark brown to black
Fruit size: Length 1.4 to 1.6 mm, width 0.8 to 1 mm in an accession from Ramhormoz, Khuzestan, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 0.2 g, which was collected and identified in 2017 by Mehri Dinarvand, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number of 46504.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight: 0.2 to 0.7 g
Biological features
Life form: Perennial, subshrub, pubescent. Stems ascending, branched, 10 to 40 cm long
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence separated verticillasters, verticillasters numerous, close together, with 2 to 10 flowers; flower zygomorphic, pedicellate, calyx gamosepalous, funnel-shaped, 3 to 4 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip 3-toothed, lower lip 2-toothed; corolla gamopetalous, 4 to 5 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, color white or red. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects.
Time of flowering: Spring
Time of seed ripening: Spring to early summer
Seed dispersal methods: By seed weight
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from South of Iran
Distribution in Iran: East, Central and South. Mostly in provinces Isfahan, Yazd, Fars, Khorasan and Khuzestan
Taxonomy
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species: S. eremophila
Persian name: Mariyamgoli-e biyabani
References and Links
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 419 pp.
Bojnanský, V., Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European flora. Published by Springer Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 1046 pp.
Ghahreman, A. 1979-2003. Color flora of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Publishers, Tehran.
Jamzad, Z. 2012. Flora of Iran, No. 76: Lamiaceae. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 1066 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publishers, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
