I.C. Hedge

Sturdy aromatic perennial herb. Stems 30-100 cm, thick, quadrangular, below with multicellular eglandular hairs, above densely glandular-viscid with spreading glandular hairs. Leaves broadly ovate, 6-18 x 5-10 cm, crenateserrate, acute, basally cordate or hastate, eglandular-pilose mainly on venation below and gland-dotted; petiole very long, up to 20 cm on basal leaves. Inflorescence of simple or branched racemes. Verticillasters 4-6-flowered, distant or approximating. Bracts ovate, c. 10 x 5 mm. Pedicels up to 8 mm, spreading erect. Calyx often purple- or violet-coloured, broad obovate-campanulate, 12-15 mm scarcely longer in fruit, densely glandular viscid; upper lip entire or shortly 3-toothed; lower lip bifid; tube glabrous within. Corolla very large, up to 40-50 mm and 15 mm wide at throat, purple, violet or deep blue, rarely white; tube somewhat curved, widening from base, annulate or exannulate within; upper lip c. 10 mm, straight or falcate; lower lip longer than upper. Lower theca smaller than upper one but bearing pol¬len. Nutlets obovoid, dark brown, c. 4 x 3 mm.

Fl. Per.: June-September.

Type: [Kashmir] Cashmere, Royle (LIV photo!).

Distribution Himalaya, Kashmir to Nepal.

One of the showy Labiates of Kashmir, not to be confused with any other of our Salvias because of its large leaves and corollas. It is usually found at high altitudes from 3000-3800 m. Peter-Stibal recognized a var. exannulata Peter-Stibal (in Feddes Repert. 39: 177. 1936) for variants in which the inside of the corolla tube was glabrous as opposed to annulate in the type variety.