RE: [gardeners] Salvia confusion
Kay Lancaster (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 13 Jul 2001 11:13:57 -0700 (PDT)
On Fri, 13 Jul 2001, Terry King wrote:
> Does Hortus III have a physical description of S. nemorosa? Sunset does say
> that May Night is S. xsylvestries which is an offspring of S. nemorosa.
> Sunset also says that nemorosa spreads by rhizomes, which I'm assuming would
> be the key difference between it and xsuperba and xsylvestris.
Remember that Hortus is only interested in cultivated plants, so it
totally ignores the real S. nemerosa other than:
S. nemerosa L: Not in clut.; material cult. under this name is usually
S. x superba, some of it may be S. x sylvestris
S. x superba Stapf (S. nemorosa Mottet and authors, not L.; S. virgata
Hort, non Jaxq; S. virgata nemerosa Hort): S x sylvestis x S x
villicaulis Borb. A sterile hybrid; perennial, to 4.5 ft, stems woody
at base, laves ovate-oblong to oblong, 1-3 long, obtuse to truncate at
base, crenulate, rugulose, gray-green, puberulent beneath, the lower
stem leaves mostly sessile; inflorescence densely spicate, 4-8" lonf,
bracks red-purple, corolla hearly 0.5" long, violet-purple, anthers
without pollen. Known only in cultivation.
S. x sylvestris L. (S. nemerosa x S. pratensis) Perennial, 6-30",
similar to S. pratensis but stem leaves more numerous and
oblong-lanceolate, the bracts purple, flowers more numerous, scarcely
more than 0.5" long, Europe to w. Asia. Some material of S. pratensis
may belong here.
S. pratensis L. Aromatic perennial, 1-3.5 ft high, pubescent, the
upper parts glandular; leaves ovate to oblong, 3-6" long, cordate,
doubly crenate or lobes, rugose, inflorescence spicate, verticillasters
4-6 flowe, bracts green, shorter than calyx, calyx teeth acute or
mucronate, corolla 5/8-1" long, strongly curved, typically violet-blue,
rarely pink or white, but in cultivation varying from rose-pink to dark
violet-purple. Extremely variable, especially in size and shape of
corollae. Europe, Morocco. Some material grown under this name may be
the hybrid S. x sylvestris. Cvx include 'Alba', 'Atroviolacea' and
'Rosea'.
S. nemerosa L. Perennial herb to 1 m, erect, much branched. Leaves to
10 cm, ovate or lanceolate to oblong, apex attenuate, base obtuse or
cordate, notched, rugose, and glandular-pubescent; petioles to 4 cm.
Verticillasters 2-6 flowered, in dense, terminal, stiff, branched spikes
to 40 cm; bracts to 10 mm, imbricate, ovate, violet or purple, calyx to
6 mm, dilated in fruit, pubescent; corolla 8-12 mm, violet to purpule or
white to pink. Summer-authm. Europe to Central asia.
S. x superba: Perennail herb, leaves to 7 c, oblong-lanceolate, rounded
to cordate at the base, crenate, rugose, pubescent beneath, lower leaves
petiolate. Verticillasters 4-6 flowered, slightly separated, bracts
green or violte-tinged, orbicular; corolla dark violet, white
pubescents. Central Asia, W. Siberia, Europe, naturalized in North
America. 'Alba' - coroola white. Cultivars grouped here are of
uncertain origin and may be S. nemerosa. 'Blauhu'gel;: dwarf, flowers
clear blue, abundant. 'Blauko"nigen ('Blue Queen'): compact, flowers
violet. 'Kew Gold': leaves gold, sometimes spotted green. 'Lubeca':
tall; glowers deep violet, early-flowering. 'Lye End': Leaves dark
green, flowers lilac=blue, sepals plume-like, brown. 'Mainacht'('May
night'): low, flowers blue to black. 'Negrito': flowers dark blue.
'Ostfriesland'('East Friesland'): flowers deep purple flushed blue.
'Primevere': flowers violet-lue. 'Rose Queen': leaves tinted grey,
flowers pale pink, calyx red. 'Rubin': flowers plum. Ruegen': habit
compact, flowers blue. 'Senior': flowers violet. 'Ta"zerin': tall,
flowers purple. 'Viola Klose': flowers rich blue, early-flowering.
'Wesuwe' dlowers purple tinted blue, early flowering.
Probably the best place to look would be the recently completed
"European Garden Flora", which has a pre-pub price of $750. Previous
volumes in the multivolume set are in the $150-200 range.
Kay