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dicot_gw

Vexing Salvia I.D.

dicot
16 years ago

I've been frustrated in my attempts to i.d. a plant growing in front of my old high school that I'm about 95% sure is a salvia. Lacking a digital camera and an adequate botanical vocabulary, I'm hoping someone skilled can help me sort this out (I've been through Betsy Clebsch's book and much of Robin's site unsuccessfully).

Plant habit: upright herbaceous shrub to 6 feet tall (definitely not from basal rosette). Square stems on flower spikes.

Leaves: to 6 inches, lightly fuzzy, simple broadleaf, with distinct pinnate veins, numerous small lobes

Scent: faint, but reminiscent of S. spathacea

Flowers: purple (reminiscent of S. pratensis) with white spot on upper lip, on spikes of 16-24 inches, axillary whorled arrangement, lower lip (2 cm) much larger than upper (1/2 cm) lip (it reminds me of a S. indica or S. miltiorrhiza spike, but the lip arrangement is wrong). The lower lip is curved almost to the point where the two edges come together.

Any thoughts? I'd appreciate any guidance, as I've been given permission to collect seeds and take some cuttings and I'd love to know what I'm trying to grow.