SPECIES DESCRIPTION
SALVIA FRUTICOSA
Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE/Sect. SALVIA
Common Names:- Faskomelo, Three-lobed sage.
Homotypic Synonyms:- None.
Meaning:- Salvia (L) Healer, the old Latin name for sage with medicinal
properties.
Fruticosa (L) Of shrub-like habit.
General description:- Moderately branched shrub, with herbaceous flowering
shoots.
Stems:-
1) 40-120 cm tall, appressed white-tomentose.
Leaves:-
1) Short-petiolate, simple or usually with 1(-2) pair(s) of small lateral lobes and a
large, ovate terminal lobe, 50 mm long at the most, crenulate, usually densely
white-tomentose beneath and greenish above.
Flowers:-
1) Verticillasters, 2-6-flowered, forming a rather lax, often branched inflorescence.
2) Floral leaves, small.
3) Calyx, 5-8imm, campanulate, purplish, with 5 short, sub-equal teeth.
4) Corolla, 15-22 mm, mauve or pale rose-pink;
a) upper lip, straight, pale violet-blue.
b) lower lip, whitish.
5) Stamens, curved, inserted under the helmet of the corolla.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes, 4, 3-angled and smooth
Key features:-
1) Leaves, simple, not lobed, with only eglandular hairs.
2) Calyx 5-8 mm, campanulate, toothed.
3) Corolla, 15-22 mm, mauve or pale rose-pink;
a) upper lip, straight, pale violet-blue.
b) lower lip, whitish.
Habitat:- A common constituent of open dry shrubby vegetation and scrubland
vegetation, olive groves and open coniferous woodland. 0-600(-1150) m.
Distribution:- Italy, Sicily and the Balkans eastwards, including Cyprus.
Widespread and common on Crete.
Flowering time:- Late Mar-June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
