''Salvia fulgens'', the Cardinal sage or Mexican scarlet 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 ...

native to the Mexican mountains adjacent to the state of

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

, growing at 8,700-11,000 ft elevation. It prefers the edge of oak and coniferous woodlands, especially in clearings of '' Abies religiosa''. The mountains receive fog and rain nearly year-round.

Description

''Salvia fulgens'' is a small

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

growing tall by wide. The long flowers grow in loose whorls, and are brilliant red, reflecting the common name and the synonym ''S. cardinalis''. The upper lip has red hairs which glisten (''fulgens'') in the morning dew. A reddish-brown calyx remains long after the flowers drop. Inflorescences are usually about 4 in long, though occasionally a 12 in inflorescence appears. The heart-shaped leaves are pale yellow-green, about 1.5 in long by 1 in wide, and cover the plant quite profusely. It was introduced into Western horticulture in the 19th century. It has been grown in Britain for many years. It 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

fulgens Flora of Mexico Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles {{Salvia-stub