[ ^94 ] 

 Salvia amcena. Purple-flowered Sage, 



Clafs and Order. 



DlANDRlA MoNOGYNIA. 



Generic Character. 

 Cal. fubcampanulatus, 2-labiatus: labio fuperiore 1 — 3-den- 

 tato. Cor. ringens. Filam. tranverfe pedicello affixa. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 



SALVIA amoena ; caule fruticofo, foliis cordatis crenato- 

 ferratis rugofis undulatis fubtus pallidis, calycibus 

 trifidis, racemis terminalibus verticillatis ebra&eatis. 



SALVIA violacea. Donn Hort. Cantab, edit. 4. p. 8. 



Stem fhrubby, obtufely quadrangular, fwelled at the joints, 

 branched. Leaves drooping, heart-fhaped, rugofe, waved at 

 the margin, notched, dark green, paler on the under furface, 

 fcarcely pubefcent, on footjialks equalling the leaves in length : 

 upper ones on the flowering branches growing in whorls. 

 Flowers in terminal racemes, verticillate, about fix in a whorl. 

 Calyx two-lipped : upper-lip entire, acute, fomewhat reflexed 

 at the point, fmooth. Corolla twice the length of the calyx, 

 bright violet-coloured : upper-lip hairy on the outfide, point 

 fomewhat recurved : lozver-lip dependent, three-lobed : lobes 

 obtufe, nearly equal. Stamens fhorter than corolla : anthers 

 purple with yellow pollen. Style purple, exferted, hairy ". 

 jligmas revolute. 



This fpecies of Sage approaches very near to Dr. Smith's 

 amethyftina, from which it differs in its leaves not being 

 tomentofe underneath, in the length of its footftalks, in the 

 more fhrubby and more branched ftatks. Its foliage refembles 

 very much the tubiflora of the fame author, but the flowers are 

 totally different. 



Thofe Salvias which have the upper-lip of the calyx un- 

 divided, including mod, if not all, the South-American and 

 Weft-Indian fpecies, might, perhaps, be advantageoufly fe- 

 parated from the European ones, having a five-cleft calyx, and 

 formed into a did incl genus. This feparation would be a great 

 relief, in a genus fo extenfive, that Prof. Vahl has enumerated 

 one hundred and thirty-feven fpecies ; and has not even divided 

 them into fections. Donn, in his catalogue of the Cambridge 

 garden, has the prefent fpecies under the name of violacea, but 

 the violacea of Vahl is an annual and quite diftincl from this. 



Native of the Weft-Indies : has been cultivated in the ftove 

 by Mr. Lod dices thefe ten years or more, and is eafily pro- 

 pagated by cuttings. Flowers in May and June. 



