| Salvia verticillata | |
|---|---|
) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Salvia |
| Species: | S. verticillata |
| Binomial name | |
| Salvia verticillata L. | |
Salvia verticillata, the lilac sage[1] or whorled clary, is a herbaceous perennial native to a wide area ranging from central Europe to western Asia, and naturalized in northern Europe and North America. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.[2]
Salvia verticillata has a leafy base of mid-green leaves covered with hairs, putting up leaf-covered stems that carry 3 feet (0.91 m) inflorescences. The tiny lavender flowers grow tightly packed in whorls, with tiny lime-green and purple calyces. The specific epithet verticillata refers to the whorls that grow in verticils. A cultivar introduced in the 1990s, 'Purple Rain', is much more showy and long-blooming, growing about 2 feet (0.61 m) tall.[2]
References
- ^ "Salvia verticillata". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- ^ a b Clebsch, Betsy; Barner, Carol D. (2003). The New Book of Salvias. Timber Press. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-88192-560-9.