413 



The fiisl is a branching shrub, about two icel m heigi)t: th;* 

 younger branches are tomentosc and whitish: the leaves ;ire wrinkled, 

 cinereous white or tinged with dusky purple, on very short petioles^ 

 sometimes eared at the base: the flowers terminating, in long spikes 

 composed of six-flowered whorls, approximating, yet distinct- J I is 

 a native of the south of Euroj)e and JJarbary. 



I'hc varieties are: the Common Crceii Sa^e, the ^\'ormwood 

 Sage, the Green Sage with a variegated leaf, tiio Red Sagts the Ked 

 Sage with a variegated leaf, the Painted or Parti-coloured Sage witli 

 red leaves striped with while, or white, red, and green mixed, ibunc', 

 says Johnson, " in a country garden l)y Mr. John Tradescanl, and 

 by him imparted to other lovers of plants." There is also Sjianish 

 or Lavender-leaved Sage, in which the leaves arc linear-lanceolate, 

 very narrow and quite entire, in clublcrs on the side of the stalks; 

 they are very hoary, and the branches arc covered with a hoary 

 down: the leaves on the upper part of the stalk are narrower than 

 those of Rosemary ; the flowers grow in closer spikes, and arc of a 

 light blue colour. 



But the variety with red or blackish leaves is the most common 

 iai cultivation: and the \\'ormwoo(l Sage is in greater plenty than 

 the Common Grcen-lcaved Sage. 



In the second species the stalks do not grow so upright as those 

 of the Conunon Sage; they are very hairy, and divide into several 

 branches: the leaves arc broad, woolly, on long petioles, serrate, and 

 rough on the upper surface: the leaves on the flower-stalks are 

 oblong-ovate, on shorter petioles, and very slightly serrate: the 

 whorls are pretty far distant, and i'cw flowers in each; they are of a 

 pale blue, and about the same sij^e with those of the common sort. 

 It flowers in June, and in liood seasons the seeds ripen in autumn. 

 This -sage is preferred to all the others for tea. It is often called 

 Balsamic Sage. . • 



The third has the leaves narrower than those of the conmion sort; 

 they are lioary, and some of them are indented on their edges to- 

 wards the base, which indentures have the appearance of ears. Tim 

 spikes of flowers are longer than those of the two [)rcceding sorts,. 



