TY - JOUR

T1 - Biological Flora of the British Isles

T2 - Salvia pratensis

AU - Moughan, Joseph

AU - McGinn, Kevin J.

AU - Jones, Laura

AU - Rich, Tim C. G.

AU - Waters, Elliot

AU - de Vere, Natasha

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Salvia pratensis L. (Meadow Clary) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history and conservation.Salvia pratensis is an erect, rosette-forming, perennial herb with a broad native distribution covering much of Europe—from the British Isles, Spain and Morocco in the west, across Europe into Asia, as far east as the Urals. In the British Isles, the species is nationally scarce, confined to a few south- to west-facing sites with calcareous soils in Southern England and one site in Wales. It is predominately found in unimproved pasture, hay meadows and grassy verges, but can occur on the fringes of scrub or woodland. Although the species is abundant in central Europe, changes to land management since the mid-20th century have resulted in fragmented and threatened populations in several European countries. It is cultivated as an ornamental, as is S. × sylvestris, the hybrid with S. nemorosa.Populations are typically gynodioecious, having both female (male-sterile) and hermaphrodite individuals at variable proportions. The species has a mixed mating system and is self-compatible via insect pollination, but predominantly outcrosses. Honeybees and bumblebees are abundant pollinators, but a diverse range of bee species and other insect species visit S. pratensis flowers. Inbreeding depression has been documented, presenting a conservation concern for small, fragmented populations.The species is the focus of conservation efforts and has been reintroduced to sites where it had become locally extinct in Britain. To sustain favourable habitat, site management should maintain low soil nutrient levels, and prevent scrub encroachment and the dominance of coarse grasses. The removal of sward by hay cutting or grazing after plants have flowered and set seed is advised, in addition to maintaining a degree of disturbance to provide bare patches of soil for seedling recruitment.

AB - This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Salvia pratensis L. (Meadow Clary) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history and conservation.Salvia pratensis is an erect, rosette-forming, perennial herb with a broad native distribution covering much of Europe—from the British Isles, Spain and Morocco in the west, across Europe into Asia, as far east as the Urals. In the British Isles, the species is nationally scarce, confined to a few south- to west-facing sites with calcareous soils in Southern England and one site in Wales. It is predominately found in unimproved pasture, hay meadows and grassy verges, but can occur on the fringes of scrub or woodland. Although the species is abundant in central Europe, changes to land management since the mid-20th century have resulted in fragmented and threatened populations in several European countries. It is cultivated as an ornamental, as is S. × sylvestris, the hybrid with S. nemorosa.Populations are typically gynodioecious, having both female (male-sterile) and hermaphrodite individuals at variable proportions. The species has a mixed mating system and is self-compatible via insect pollination, but predominantly outcrosses. Honeybees and bumblebees are abundant pollinators, but a diverse range of bee species and other insect species visit S. pratensis flowers. Inbreeding depression has been documented, presenting a conservation concern for small, fragmented populations.The species is the focus of conservation efforts and has been reintroduced to sites where it had become locally extinct in Britain. To sustain favourable habitat, site management should maintain low soil nutrient levels, and prevent scrub encroachment and the dominance of coarse grasses. The removal of sward by hay cutting or grazing after plants have flowered and set seed is advised, in addition to maintaining a degree of disturbance to provide bare patches of soil for seedling recruitment.

U2 - 10.1111/1365-2745.13805

DO - 10.1111/1365-2745.13805

M3 - Journal article

VL - 109

SP - 4171

EP - 4190

JO - Journal of Ecology

JF - Journal of Ecology

SN - 0022-0477

IS - 12

ER -