Salvia recurva
Encyclopedia
Salvia recurva is a woody-based perennial native to the cloud forest
s of Central America, limited to the northern slopes of Oaxaca
, Chiapas
, and Guatemala
at elevations around 10000 feet (3,048 m). It grows where there is year-round warmth and abundant moisture in the air and on the forest floor. Salvia recurva was described by George Bentham
in 1848, with the specific epithet referring to the distinct curve in the inflorescence when it first appears.
Salvia recurva grows to 6 feet high and 4 feet wide, and is covered with large ovate leaves that are 6 inches long and wide, with the back of the leaf having pronounced veins. The upper surface of the leaf is purple, along with the petiole, which can reach 6 inches long. Inflorescences reach 1 foot long, with flowers in whorls of 6-12, many of them blooming at once. When the inflorescence begins growing, all that can be seen are tightly packed lime-green calyces, which turn purple as the flower matures. The showy and elegant flowers are dark purple, reaching 2 inches in length, with the upper lip lightly covered in hairs, and the lower lip descending downward. The calyces are large, turning dark purple, along with the stem of the inflorescence.
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
s of Central America, limited to the northern slopes of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
at elevations around 10000 feet (3,048 m). It grows where there is year-round warmth and abundant moisture in the air and on the forest floor. Salvia recurva was described by George Bentham
George Bentham
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
in 1848, with the specific epithet referring to the distinct curve in the inflorescence when it first appears.
Salvia recurva grows to 6 feet high and 4 feet wide, and is covered with large ovate leaves that are 6 inches long and wide, with the back of the leaf having pronounced veins. The upper surface of the leaf is purple, along with the petiole, which can reach 6 inches long. Inflorescences reach 1 foot long, with flowers in whorls of 6-12, many of them blooming at once. When the inflorescence begins growing, all that can be seen are tightly packed lime-green calyces, which turn purple as the flower matures. The showy and elegant flowers are dark purple, reaching 2 inches in length, with the upper lip lightly covered in hairs, and the lower lip descending downward. The calyces are large, turning dark purple, along with the stem of the inflorescence.