Salvia splendens (Photo: *) Cladus: Eukaryota Name Salvia splendens Sellow ex Schult. Salvia splendens, 'Salsa Burgundy' , Photo: Michael Lahanas Vernacular names References Mant. 1:185. 1822 (J. Bellenden Ker, Bot. Reg. 8: t. 687. 1823) ------------ Salvia splendens (Scarlet Sage or Tropical Sage) is a species of sage native to Brazil. Growth It is a sub-shrubby or herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 m tall. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, elliptical, up to 7 cm long and 5 cm broad, with a toothed margin. The flowers grow on erect spikes up from the center of the plant in clusters of 2-6 together at each leaf node; they are bright red, tubular to bell-shaped, up to 35 mm long, with two lobes at the apex, the larger, upper lobe up to 13 mm long. Cultivation and uses It is widely grown as an ornamental plant, with a large number of cultivars, such as Bonfire[1], selected for different flower color from white to dark purple. It is a tropical species which does not survive freezing temperatures as a plant, but can be grown in colder climates as an annual, reseeding itself very easily and requiring very little care. It likes full sun in cooler climates but may need partial shade during particularly hot summers. The main pests are slugs, which can be a problem in moist environments. Psychoactivity In recent years, there have been reports of psychoactive properties found in S. splendens leaves, however it has not been proven in clinical trials or published research papers.[2][3] References 1. ^ http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_bb07.html
1. Germplasm Resources Information Network: Salvia splendens Source: Wikispecies, Wikipedia: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License |
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