Clinopodium vulgare L.
wild basil savory (wild basil)
Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
wild basil savory (wild basil)
Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from creeping rhizome, soft-hairy, weakly scented; stems erect, 30-80 cm tall, simple or somewhat branched.
Leaves:
Opposite, egg-shaped, 2-5 cm long, tips somewhat rounded, bases rounded or broadly tapered, shallowly toothed; stalked.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of crowded, many-flowered, terminal and axillary clusters; bracts awl-shaped, mar gins hairy; corollas tubular, pink to rose-purple, 15-20 mm long, 2-lipped; calyces cylindric, 13-veined, the tube purplish, white-hairy, curved, somewhat 2-lipped, the upper 3 teeth broad-based, the 2 lower longer; stamens shorter than corollas.
Fruits:
Nutlets, 4 clustered together, egg-shaped, smooth.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Dry to wet disturbed areas in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; rare throughout BC; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
| Scientific Name | Origin Status | Provincial Status | BC List (Red Blue List) | COSEWIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinopodium vulgare | Exotic | SNA | Exotic | Not Listed |
| Clinopodium vulgare ssp. vulgare | SNA (2019) | Exotic | Not Listed |
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Calamintha clinopodium
Calamintha vulgaris (L.) Halácsy, non Clairv.
Clinopodium vulgare var. neogaea (Fernald) C.F. Reed
Satureja vulgaris (L.) Fritsch
Satureja vulgaris var. diminuta (Simon) Fernald & Wiegand
Satureja vulgaris var. neogaea Fernald