Salvia verbenaca L.

Scarcely aromatic, perennial herb. Stems densely hairy and with glandular scales, to c. 50 cm high; angles often purple. Lvs mostly basal and forming a rosette; petioles to c. 8 cm long, densely hairy and with glandular scales. Lamina 3–12 × 1.5–5 cm, ± oblong, sinuately lobed or pinnatifid, hairy on veins, otherwise glabrous or nearly so; base broad-cuneate to subcordate; apex acute or subacute; lobes broader than deep, dentate. Stem lvs often sessile. Infl. to 30 cm long, usually with 2 main branches near base, densely hairy. Verticels 5–10-flowered, distant; fls ± subsessile; bracts broader than long, > calyx, with narrow-acuminate apex. Calyx 6–10 mm long, purplish, hairy, accrescent; teeth acuminate, densely ciliate, those of lower lip much longer; lower lip 3–4 mm long, ± rounded. Corolla 8–12 mm long; limb blue or violet; upper lip hooded, hairy outside. Stamens included or slightly exserted; connective of fertile arms 4–5× filaments; sterile arms very broad. Nutlets c. 2 mm long, broad-ellipsoid, slightly trigonous.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Oct.–Feb.