Salvia farinacea

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox |image = Salvia farinacea1.jpg |taxon = Salvia farinacea |authority = Benth. |synonyms = ''Salvia earlei'' Wooton & Standl. ''Salvia linearis'' Sessé & Moc. ''Salvia virgata'' Ortega. }}

'''''Salvia farinacea''''', the '''mealycup sage''',<ref>{{PLANTS|id=SAFA2|taxon=Salvia farinacea|access-date=28 October 2015}}</ref> or '''mealy sage''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | access-date = 6 February 2021}}</ref> is a herbaceous perennial native to Nuevo León, Mexico and parts of the United States including Texas and Oklahoma.<ref>Billie L. Turner. Recension of Salvia sect. Farinaceae (Lamiaceae). Phytologia (August 2008) 90(2) pages 163-175. [https://www.phytologia.org/uploads/2/3/4/2/23422706/902163-175turnersalviasectfarinaceae.pdf]</ref> Violet-blue spikes rest on a compact plant of typically narrow salvia-like leaves; however, the shiny leaves are what set this species apart from most other ''Salvia'', which bear velvety-dull leaves.

==Description== The mealycup sage reaches stature heights of 60 to 90 cm. The shape of the leaf blade varies from ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate. The inflorescence axis forms a blue, rarely a white hair. The truncated calyx has very short calyx teeth. They are dense blue or white hairy, so that the individual enamel teeth are barely recognisable. The bright blue-white flowers are slim and gleaming. The crown will be about 2.5 inches long. Inside the crown there is no ring-shaped hair strip.

The first description of ''S. farinacea'' was made in 1833 by George Bentham in Labiatarum Genera et Species, p. 274. Synonyms for ''S. farinacea'' Benth. include ''Salvia linearis'' Sessé & Moc. and ''S. virgata'' Ortega.<ref>Gordon Cheers: Botanica: The ABC of plants. 10,000 species in text and image . German edition. Edition Könemann in the Tandem publishing house Cologne 2003, {{ISBN|3-89731-900-4}} , Salvia farinacea : P. 813.</ref>

== Cultivation == This plant requires full or partial sun and will grow to 18 inches or more with good soil and will attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 8–10.<ref>[http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/c814/salvia-farinacea-victoria-blue.aspx Missouri Botanical Garden: Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' ]</ref> Many varieties are frequently reported to be hardy to zone 7 when well sited and left to stand over winter, waiting to cut back until late winter or early spring. Longispicata x farinacea hybrids are often reliably hardy to zone 7. The plant flowers from June to frost, or as early as April for mature clumps. In the southern US it can make a stunning, long lived specimen as a solitary plant or en masse. In the temperate latitudes, it is cultivated as an annual plant and used as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens, especially in summer discounts. It can also be used as a cut flower.

Several cultivars are cultivated, such as 'Blue Bedder', 'Victoria' with intense violet-blue flowers and 'Strata' with white and blue flowers. Crosses between ''S. farinacea'' and ''S. longispicata'' (''S. longispicata × S. farinacea'') are widely sold as ornamental plants, such as 'Indigo Spires' and 'Mystic Spires Blue'.<ref>Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Mueller (Hrsg.): Excursion flora of Germany . Founded by Werner Rothmaler. Volume 5 : Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Springer, Spektrum Academic Publisher, Berlin / Heidelberg 2008, {{ISBN|978-3-8274-0918-8}} , p. 512 .</ref>

==Cultivars== *''S. farinacea'' 'Blue Bedder',1847 seed variety still in common use as of 2025. *''S. farinacea'' 'Victoria', common cutflower seed variety. Also sold as Victoria Blue and Blue Victory. *''S. farinacea'' 'Rhea', purple seeded variety patented by Muller Seeds. *''S. farinacea'' 'Strata', white calyces and sparse purple flowers seeded variety patented by Muller Seeds. *''S. farinacea'' 'Cirrus', white seeded variety patented by Muller Seeds. *''S. farinacea'' ‘Midnight Candle’ *''S. farinacea'' ‘Rebel Child’ *''S. farinacea'' ‘Fairy Queen’, lavender and white *''S. farinacea'' 'Henry Duelberg', popular vegetative, well-branched texas variety *''S. farinacea'' 'Augusta Duelberg’ *''S. farinacea'' ‘Evolution’ violet, All American Selection seed variety *''S. farinacea'' ‘Evolution’ white, seed variety *''S. farinacea'' ‘Velocity Blue’, vegetative variety *''S. farinacea'' ‘Unplugged So Blue’, vegetative variety *''S. farinacea'' ‘Sallyfun’ series, vegetative varieties in multiple colors for containers *''S. farinacea'' ‘Cathedral’ series, vegetative varieties in multiple colors for containers *''Salvia'' Indigo Spires (''S. longispicata × S. farinacea allegedly''), 1979 chance hybrid found in Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California *Salvia Big Blue (''S. longispicata × S. farinacea''), seed variety. Same cross as Indigo Spires but more compact and later flowering. *''Salvia'' Mystic Spires Blue (''S. longispicata × S. farinacea'') ‘balsalmisp’ patent owned by Ball Seed. Intentional sport of Indigo Spires. Current patent is for the second generation of this cultivar, previously named Mystic Spires Improved. Also sold under trademark ''Salvia'' Rockin’ Playin’ the Blues. *''Salvia'' Mysty (''S. longispicata × S. farinacea'') intentional sport of Mystic Spires *''Salvia'' Blue Chill (''S. longispicata × S. farinacea'') light blue flowers with white mottling reminiscent of nepeta faassenii and grandiflora cultivars

==Gallery== <gallery> Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue'.JPG|''Salvia farinacea'' x ''Salvia longispicata'' "Mystic Spires Blue' Bombus terrestris - Salvia farinacea victoria - Tallinn.jpg|Bumblebees are very attracted to mealycup sage cultivars Salvia_farinacea_HC1.jpg|Inflorescence File:Salvia Farinacea Sequential Blossom.jpg|Sequential blooming Salvia_farinacea_HC2.jpg|Natural habitat File:Starr_070906-8642_Salvia_farinacea.jpg|Leaves and flowers File:台中花毯節 20201219205051 03.jpg|Exhibition of Flower Festival, Taichung, Taiwan. File:Salvia farinacea-bunga-Raflinoer32.jpg|Flower in Indonesia File:Salvia farinacea-daun-Raflinoer32.jpg|Leaves </gallery>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Wikispecies}} *[https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SAFA2 USDA Plants Profile]

farinacea Category:Plants described in 1833 Category:Flora of Oklahoma Category:Flora of Texas Category:Flora of Nuevo León Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status