Salvia obtusata
Salvia obtusata is a species of sage commonly called Coega sage. It is endemic to South Africa′s Eastern Cape province, where it is found growing in well-drained, gravelly soils from Kariega to Albany.
The Red List of South African Plants lists S. obtusata as Vulnerable, citing ″severe, rapid and ongoing″ habitat loss from development around Coega and east of Gqeberha.
Description
Salvia obtusata is a perennial herb, somewhat woody at the base, with ascending stems reaching about or more in length. Stems are glabrous below and glabrous to sparsely hairy above.Leaves are petiolate, the blade broadly elliptic to ovate in outline,, often drying dark brown. They are subentire or lyrate-pinnatifid, with a large terminal lobe and one or two pairs of smaller basal lobes; the upper surface is almost hairless, while the lower surface is sparsely hairy along the veins and margins. The margin is coarsely crenate, and the petiole is up to long, glabrous or bearing a few long, stiff hairs.
The inflorescence consists of up to ten verticils, spaced apart below and closer together towards the apex, each bearing two to eight flowers. The calyx is tubular-campanulate, sparsely hispid and often tinged purple, reaching up to in fruit; the upper lip bears three subequal, acuminate teeth long.
The lilac-tinted corolla is long, with a tube about long, a straight upper lip about long, and a lower lip about long.
Flowering is from September to April, being more prolific in South Africa′s spring and early summer.