23 
SALVIA patens. 
Large Blue Mexican Sage. 
— ——— 
DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. LaMIACEZ, or LABIATA. 
SALVIA. Bot. Register, vol. 18. fol. 1554. 
$ 7. LonGIrLORA, ceruleee. Bentham lab. 276. 
S. patens ; radice tuberosá, foliis cordatis aut hastatis ovato-oblongis suprà pi- 
losis subtus pubescentibus floralibus lanceolato-linearibus, verticillastris re- 
motis subbifloris, floribus maximis, galeá falcatá, labelli trilobi lobis lateralibus 
minutis acutis intermedio transverso concavo subangulato emarginato. 
S. patens. Cav. ic. V. 33. t. 454. Bentham Labiat. 295. Id. in hort. trans. 
^. s. 11. 222. t. X. 
S. spectabilis. H. B. K. n. g. sp. pl. II. 304. 
Of this, the finest of the genus, a beautiful figure has 
been published in the last part of «the Transactions of the 
Horticultural Society of London, together with an account 
of it by Mr. Bentham. 
Instead of referring to that account I avail myself of a 
manuscript communication upon the subject, for which I am 
indebted to my excellent correspondent Mr. W. B. Booth, 
of whose drawing the annexed is a copy. 
Specimens were sent me last autumn by Mr. Rogers of 
Southampton, Messrs. Lowe and Co. of Clapton, and Mr. 
Pontey of Plymouth. 
T My knowledge of this handsome species of Salvia was 
first derived from a plant exhibited at the Meeting of the 
Cornwall Horticultural Society at Truro, in July, 1838, by 
John Penberthy Magor, Esq. of Penventon, near Redruth, 
to whom lam indebted for the specimens from which the 
accompanying figure and description were taken. It is a 
native of Mexico, from whence roots of it, in a dried state, 
were forwarded to this country in the spring of 1838, one of 
which shortly afterwards produced its magnificent flowers in 
Mr. Magor's garden, and has continued to do so in an airy 
greenhouse ever since. It is one of the largest blue flowering 
kinds yet introduced, and is a valuable addition to the 
splendid assortment of Mexican Salvias which we already 
possess. 
* Hoot perennial, fasciculated, fleshy and fibrous, very 
much resembling that of an Alstromeria, and in this respect 
differing from most other Salvias with which I am ac- 
quainted. The old tubers decay after planting, and are 
succeeded by new ones, which are long and slender, and of 
