Salvia verbenaca L. (syn.: S. horminoides Pourr.) (SW-Eur., Medit.) – A rare and much decreasing alien, formerly locally more or less naturalized (see Durand 1899). Well-known already in the first half of the 19th century (Nieuwpoort, Péruwelz, Watervliet). Obviously naturalized in several localities, for instance near the old city walls of Leuven (at least between 1856-1888), Kessel-Lo (1866-1884), Beaumont (abundant on sunny, rocky slopes, at least between 1862 and 1870), etc. In the 20th century much decreasing and only recorded in a few places, for instance in coastal dunes in Oostduinkerke (1930-1934) or in the surroundings of Huy (e.g. in vineyards, at least between 1938 and 1952). Salvia verbenaca was also recorded in an old gravel pit in Vaulx in 1951. At present, it is known from a single locality in Mazée where a small population persists since ca. 2006, close to the church.
Salvia verbenaca is a rather variable species. Sell & Murrell (2009) distinguish two subspecies (and additional varieties). Most Belgian collections have distinctly pinnatipartite leaves and belong with subsp. horminoides (Pourr.) Nyman (syn.: S. horminoides Pourr.). The taxonomic value of these infraspecific taxa is questionable. All are merely included in Salvia verbenaca in Euro+Med Plantbase.
Selected literature:
Afzal-Rafii Z. (1979) Contribution á l'étude cytotaxonomique du groupe Salvia verbenaca L. Bull. Soc. Bot. France, Actual. Bot. 126: 79-86.
Curtis T.G.F. & Robinson T.D. (1985) Salvia verbenaca L. in the Aran Islands: An extension in range in western Ireland. Irish Naturalists' J. 21: 408-409.
De Zwart A.J. & Weeda E.J. (2001) Kleinbloemige salie (Salvia verbenaca L.) terug in Nederland. Gorteria 27(4): 82-90.
Del Carratore F., Garbari F. & Jarvis C. (1998) The application of Linnaean names Salvia pratensis, S. agrestis, S. haematodes, S. verbenaca and S. clandestina (Lamiaceae). Pl. Biosystems 132(2): 169-176.
Durand T. (1899) Phanérogames. In: De Wildeman E. & Durand T., Prodrome de la flore belge. A. Castaigne Editeur, Bruxelles: 1112 p.
John H. & Böhme F. (2007) Salbei-Arten in Deutschland, die noch nicht im Rothmaler stehen. Mitt. Florist. Kart. Sachsen-Anhalt 12: 83-86. [available online at: http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/27907]
Navarro L. (1997) Is the dichogamy of Salvia verbenaca (Lamiaceae) an effective barrier to self-fertilization? Pl. Syst. Evol. 207: 111-117. [available online at: http://webs.uvigo.es/plantecology/pdfs/Navarro_1997_Salvia.pdf]
Navarro L. (1998) Effect of pollen limitation, additional nutrients, flower position and flowering phenology on fruit and seed production in Salvia verbenaca (Lamiaceae). Nordic J. Bot. 18(4): 441-446. [available online at: http://webs.uvigo.es/lnavarro/nordic_salvia.pdf]
Sell P. & Murrell G. (2009) Flora of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 3 Mimosaceae – Lentibulariaceae. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: XXVIII + 595 p.
Sturt N. (1995) Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) in churchyards. BSBI News 68: 28-29. [available online at: http://archive.bsbi.org.uk/BSBINews68.pdf]