''Salvia cacaliifolia'', the blue vine sage or Guatemalan sage, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Lamiaceae,

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico, and in Guatemala and Honduras, at elevation. It has been available in the United Kingdom for many years, after being recognized by Irish gardener and journalist William Robinson in 1933. Since the 1970s, it has been available in the United States, after Strybing Arboretum and

Huntington Botanical Gardens The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington (1850–1927) and Arabella Huntington (c.1851–1924) in San Mar ...

introduced it to California growers.

Nomenclature

The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

is sometimes spelt ''cacaliaefolia'' in the literature; however, ''cacaliifolia'' is accepted as the correct spelling. It means "with leaves like ''

Cacalia The genus ''Cacalia'' L. is a ''nomen rejiciendum'' (rejected name) under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Appendix V. Nomina utique rejicienda. E. Spermatophyta The type species ''C. alpina'' L. has been tran ...

'' (a genus which has been renamed).

Description

It is an

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

, blooming from midsummer to autumn with many pure gentian-blue flowers, about .5 inches long, with small green calyces. The leaves are grass-green in color with many hairs. The creeping rootstock spreads easily, forming clumps that are easily divided. It grows well in a temperate climate. However it does not tolerate freezing temperatures, so must be given protection in cold wet winters. It is easily propagated by cuttings. This plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

External links

cacaliifolia Flora of Guatemala Flora of Honduras Flora of Southeastern Mexico Flora of Southwestern Mexico Flora of Chiapas Garden plants of North America {{Salvia-stub