Salvia venulosa

Salvia venulosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species:
S. venulosa
Binomial name
Salvia venulosa

Salvia venulosa is a perennial plant that is native to a very small region of the Western Cordillera in Colombia. It grows at 1,500 to 2,000 m (4,900 to 6,600 ft) elevation in deeply shaded wooded gullies. S. venulosa grows less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall, with narrow ovate leaves that are 6 to 9 cm (2.4 to 3.5 in) long and 3 centimetres (1.2 in) wide, and violet on the underside. The flower is an unusual wine-red color.[1]

A 2010 phylogenetic study of Salvia divinorum and 52 other Salvia species in the subgenus Calosphace suggest that S. venulosa is the closest known relative of S. divinorum.[2] Relatively few species (out of the 600 species of Salvia occurring in Mexico and South America) were included in that study. And it is likely that another yet-to-be identified Salvia is actually more closely related to S. divinorum. There is no evidence whatsoever that S. venulosa has any uncommon alkaloids.

Notes

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  1. ^ Wood, J. R. I.; Harley, R. M. (1989). "The Genus Salvia (Labiatae) in Colombia". Kew Bulletin. 44 (2). Springer: 211–278. doi:10.2307/4110799. JSTOR 4110799.
  2. ^ Aaron A. Jenks, Jay B. Walker and Seung-Chul Kim (2010). "Evolution and origins of the Mazatec sage, Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae): a molecular phylogenetic approach". Journal of Plant Research. 124 (5): 593–600. doi:10.1007/s10265-010-0394-6. PMID 21125306. S2CID 28382245.