This site and its content are under development.

Sanguisorba minor Scop., Salad Burnet

Account Summary

Introduction, casual, probably locally extinct. Eurosiberian southern-temperate.

August 2001; Rippey, I. & Northridge, H.J.; Long Island, Lower Lough Erne.

August and September.

This semi-rosette, wintergreen, tap-rooted perennial is accepted as native by botanists in S Ireland (Cen Cat Fl Ir 2; An Irish Flora 7th edition; Flora of Co Dublin), but in NI it has long been considered a casual introduction (Stewart & Praeger 1895; More et al. 1898). It has been discovered at just two sites in Fermanagh, both in 2001.

The first find listed above was growing with Daucus carota (Wild Carrot) at the edge of an area previously cultivated as an island garden. Then, in September 2001, RHN & RSF found several plants scattered among tall grass on an overgrown roadside bank just outside the town of Lisnaskea. The plants were growing with numerous Cichorium intybus (Chicory) plants below a recently planted beech and hawthorn hedge along with tree saplings, including poplar and oak. The fact that woody material, probably of imported origin, had recently been planted, suggested to us that Salad Burnet seed arrived here as a soil contaminant.

Throughout B & I, Salad Burnet is almost entirely confined to dry, infertile, Carboniferous limestone or chalk grasslands, or occasionally on base-rich boulder clay. The chief habitats are species-rich, relatively infertile pastures and waste ground, but it can also grow in other situations where competition from more vigorous plants is either completely absent or severely limited, eg in rock crevices, on limestone pavement, screes, quarries and steep, fairly unstable roadside banks (Grime et al. 1988).

As the English common name indicates, previously Salad Burnet was commonly grown for its salad leaves, which have a pleasant cucumber-like scent and flavour on the palate or in summer drinks including wine. Like S. officinalis L., from Dioscorides onward it was regarded as a vulnerary herb, useful for treating bruises and other wounds and for staunching blood. 'Burnet' is from Old French 'burnette' or 'brunette' meaning 'dark brown' and refers to the colour of the flower heads. S. minor is not so frequently grown nowadays (Grigson 1987).

Threats

None.