Salvia guaranitica

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Lamiaceae
Subfamilia: Nepetoideae
Tribus: Mentheae
Subtribus: Salviinae
Genus: Salvia
Subgenus: S. subg. Calosphace
Sectio: S. sect. Coeruleae
Species: Salvia guaranitica
Name

Salvia guaranitica A.St.-Hil. ex Benth., Labiat. Gen. Spec. 298. 1833.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Salvia ambigens Briq., Bull. Trav. Soc. Bot. Geneve 5: 120. 1889.
Salvia caerulea Moc. & Sessé ex Benth., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 18: t. 1493. 1832.
Salvia coerulea Benth., Labiat. Gen. Spec. 299. 1833.
Salvia melanocalyx Briq., Bull. Herb. Boissier 4: 862. 189.

References

Bentham, G. (1833) Labiatarum Genera et Species 298.
Tropicos.org 2015. Salvia guaranitica. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 09 Sep 2015.

Salvia guaranitica, the anise-scented sage or hummingbird sage, is a species of flowering plant in the sage family Lamiaceae, native to a wide area of South America, including Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. It is cultivated all over the world, and is naturalized in New Zealand and Chile.[1]

Description

It is a perennial subshrub growing 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m) tall, spreading into a large patch via its spreading roots. The leaves are Glossary of leaf morphology#ovate, 4 cm (1.6 in) long and nearly as wide, with a fresh mint green color, and an anise scent when crushed. The inflorescences are up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long with flowers in various shades of blue, including an uncommonly true blue. In cold regions, flowering begins in mid summer and continues until frost.[2]

Cultivation

Salvia guaranitica is a popular ornamental plant in mild areas. It grows in either full or three quarter sunlight, in well-drained soil. Numerous cultivars have been selected, including 'Argentine Skies' (pale blue flowers), 'Black and Blue' (very dark violet blue calyx), 'Blue Ensign' (large blue flowers), and 'Purple Splendor' (Light purple flowers).[2] The cultivar 'Blue Enigma', with pure blue flowers, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3][4]

References

Santa Cruz, Javier; González, Diego; Valdebenito, Samuel; Peñaloza, Patricia (2021). "Salvia guaranitica A. St.-Hil. Ex Benth. (Lamiaceae): A new record for the alien flora of Chile". Gayana. Botánica. 78: 95–98. doi:10.4067/S0717-66432021000100095. S2CID 244611065.
Clebsch, Betsy; Barner, Carol D. (2003). The New Book of Salvias. Timber Press. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-88192-560-9.
"RHS Plant Selector - Salvia guaranitica 'Blue Enigma'". Retrieved 17 February 2021.
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 95. Retrieved 14 October 2018.