Salvia reflexa

Branching annual 3-6 dm, the stem with minute recurved hairs; principal petioles 8-20 mm; lvs lance-linear to lanceolate, 3-5 cm נ4-12 mm, entire or with a few low teeth, gradually narrowed to the base; racemes erect, 5-10 cm, the internodes 8-15 mm; bracteal lvs lance- linear, 1-3 mm; fls 2(4) per node; cal at anthesis 6-7 mm, minutely hairy on the nerves only, the upper lip entire, 5-nerved, half as long as the tube; cor blue, 8-12 mm, the tube no longer than the cal; 2n=20. Dry sandy or gravelly soil of hillsides and prairies; O. to Io. and Mo., w. to N.C., Utah, and Mex., and sometimes adventive eastward. (S. lanceifolia, misapplied; S. lanceolata)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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Kearney and Peebles 1969, McDougall 1973

Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Annual of varying habit, aromatic, without punctate-glandular leaves and flowers, stems square, sometimes tinged deep purple, herbage puberulent to somewhat glabrous. Leaves: Opposite, lanceolate to oblong-linear, margins with entire or serrulate, petioles 2-20 mm long. Flowers: Blue or bluish- white, borne in interrupted spikes in verticels of 2 opposite flowers, sometimes in leaf axils, the corolla strongly 2-lipped with the upper lip helmet-shaped, entire or 2-lobed, the lower lip spreading or drooping and 3-lobed. Calyx lobes bilabiate, persistent. 2 fertile stamens inserted in the tube of the corolla. Fruits: Four smooth nutlets. Ecology: Found on plains, mesas, rocky slopes, and open pine forest, from 4,000-7,000 ft (1219-2134 m); flowering July-October. Notes: The keys to this species are the annual habit, the lack of glandular-punctate vegetation, the blue or bluish-white flowers,the calyx lobes 2-lipped with with 12-13 ridges (nerves), the stamens inserted in the upper lip of the corolla, and the mostly linear-lanceolate leaves. Also look for this species in disturbed areas, roadsides, and pastures. The key to distinguishing between Salvia and Stachys is that Stachys has four stamens and a regular calyx, while Salvia has 2 stamens and the calyx is bilabiate. Ethnobotany: There is no specific use recorded for this species, but the genus was used as an infusion to treat measles, and eaten raw for kidney troubles. Synonyms: Salvia lancifolia Editor: LCrumbacher, 2011 Etymology: Salvia comes from the Latin salveo, "I am well," and an herb, Salvia, used for healing, while reflexa means bent sharply backwards.