Synonyms: Rosmarinus L. APNI*
Description: Annual or perennial herb, rarely a shrub; branches ± covered with simple hairs, sessile glands often present.
Leaves opposite, margins entire, or crenate to deeply lobed; petiolate.
Inflorescence often reduced to 1 or 2 flowers per leaf- or bract axil; internodes usually visible. Sepals unequally fused, 2-lipped; lower lip deeply 2-lobed; upper lip 3-lobed, rarely only 1 broad lobe. Corolla 2-lipped; lower lip 3-lobed, with median lobe broad and 2 lateral lobes narrow; upper lip erect, ± hooded, scarcely 2-lobed. Stamens 2 fertile; loculi separated by elongated connective, 1 loculus ± sterile. Staminodes 2, minute, sometimes absent. Ovary deeply 4-lobed; style gynobasic; stigma unequally 2-fid.
Mericarps usually obovoid, scarcely keeled.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 700 species, tropical to temperate regions. Australia: 6 species (1 species native, 5 species naturalized), all States except N.T.
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept:
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Salvia microphylla,
Salvia splendens
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Branches, inflorescence and, at least lower surface of leaves woolly; corolla white | 2 |
| Branches, inflorescence and leaves with short or long, spreading, retrorse or antrorse hairs; indumentum never woolly | 3 |
| 2 | Petioles 3–7 cm long; leaves with lamina 5–12 cm wide with margins deeply and irregularly toothed; inflorescence much-branched; bracts stiff and spinescent, persistent in fruit | Salvia aethiopis |
| Petioles 1–2 cm long; leaves with lamina 0.7–2 cm wide with margins finely crenate; inflorescence unbranched; bracts soft, not spinescent, not persistent in fruit
Back to 1 | Salvia leucantha |
| 3 | Branches with short, simple retrorse hairs and long, multicellular more or less spreading hairs; lamina base truncate or cordate | 4 |
| Branches with short, simple retrorse hairs only; lamina base cuneate to tapering
Back to 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Corolla red, rarely pink; margins of leaves crenate or toothed | Salvia coccinea |
| Corolla blue-purple to lilac; margins of leaves pinnatifid to pinnatisect or incised
Back to 3 | Salvia verbenaca |
| 5 | Leaves with margins crenate; inflorescence usually much-branched; corolla 3.5–5 mm long | Salvia plebeia |
| Leaves with margins almost entire, with shallow distant teeth; inflorescence unbranched; corolla 7–10 mm long
Back to 3 | Salvia reflexa |
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