Salvia scapiformis is an herb that is native to several provinces in China, along with Taiwan and the Philippines, growing at 100 to 1200 m (328.1 to 3,937 ft) elevation. S. scapiformis grows on slender stems to 20 to 26 cm (7.9 to 10.2 in) tall, with mostly simple leaves that are basal or subbasal, rarely growing on the stem. Inflorescences are widely spaced 6-10 flowered verticillasters in terminal raceme

Raceme

A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...

s or panicle

Panicle

A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....

s that are 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in) long. The corolla is purple or white, approximately 7 mm (0.275590551181102 in).

There are three named varieties, with slight variations in leaves, verticillasters, and calyx:

• S.  scapiformis var. scapiformis
• S.  carphocalyx var. pteridifolia
• S.  nanchuanensis var. hirsuta