What many of us have been recently growing as Salvia praeclara should correctly be named as Salvia exserta.

This is on good authority from John Wood, the British botanist.

Several more name changes are imminent, especially Argentinian and Bolivian natives. Meyeri, stachydifolia, rypara, gilliesii have all been mis-named. Rhinosina might figure somewhere.

All very annoying and confusing, but if one day we have some species correctly named, that will be good. Until the botanists change their minds yet again!!!

I think I will have another glass of wine!

Robin.

Christian Froissart is another person making big strides to bring order to the genus.

Some of the most useful information coming out is on the Internet in the form of on-line herbaria from the Smithsonian, Missouri and New York Botanical Gardens, and the Field Museum. Others are in development, and there are a number of smaller herbaria making contributions. A web site is also under development to integrate these type herbarium sheets.

An encylopedic key to the genus is still quite a ways off, though. A lot more DNA work will have to be done as well.