''Salvia koyamae'' (Shinano-akigiri) is a perennial rarely found in the wild and native to the Japanese island of
Honshu, where it has a close affinity to two other ''salvia'' species: ''
Salvia glabrescens
''Salvia'' () is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with nearly 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. Within the Lamiaceae, ''Salvia'' is part of the tribe Mentheae within the subfamily Nepetoide ...
'' and ''
Salvia nipponica''. It was named by
Tomitaro Makino, considered the "father of Japanese botany".
''Salvia koyamae'' has a lax habit with decumbent stems reaching 2 feet or more that appear to creep, creating a loose ground cover about 1 foot tall. The large yellow-green cordate leaves are covered with fine hairs, and are 6 in long and 5 in wide with a 5 in long petiole. Pale yellow flowers grow in whorls, spaced on an inflorescence that can reach up to 1 ft long. Few flowers are in bloom at one time, but the heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers make for an attractive plant. Around 1990 it was grown at the
University of California Botanical Garden and introduced into horticulture soon after that.
Notes
koyamae
Flora of Japan
{{Salvia-stub