Salvia veneris
| Salvia veneris | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Salvia |
| Species: | S. veneris |
| Binomial name | |
| Salvia veneris Hedge | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Salvia crassifolia Sibth. & Smith | |
Salvia veneris, the Kythrean sage, is a species of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family that is endemic to Cyprus. It is found in a very small area just west of the village of Kythrea. A study in 2004 found only approximately 4,000 surviving plants.
Salvia veneris has felt-like leaves growing in a basal rosette. The flowers are bi-colored, with the upper lip blue and the lower lip white with pale yellow markings. The stems give off a pleasant fragrance when crushed. The basal rosette leaf habit is unusual in the Salvia genus, and is thought to be an adaptation to grazing by goats.
Sources
- Viney, D.E., Christofides, Y. & Kadis, C. 2006. Salvia veneris. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 20 July 2007.
- de Montmollin, Bertrand; Wendy Strahm (2005). IUCN/SSC Mediterranean Islands Plant Specialist Group, ed. The top 50 Mediterranean Island plants: wild plants at the brink of extinction, and what is needed to save them. IUCN. ISBN 978-2-8317-0832-4.
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