Salvia subg. Perovskia explained

Salvia subgenus Perovskia is a group of species within the flowering plant genus Salvia, which prior 2017 were treated as the separate genus Perovskia.^[1] Members of the group are native to southwestern and central Asia.^{[2] [3]} It includes the garden plant Russian sage (Salvia × floriferior).^[4]

The subgenus and former genus are named after the Russian general V. A. Perovski (1794-1857).^[5]

Species^[6]

1. Salvia abrotanoides (Kar.) Systma  - Tibet, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, western Himalayas of northern India
2. Salvia bungei J.G.González, formerly Perovskia virgata Kudrjasch.  - Tajikistan
3. Salvia karelinii J.B.Walker, formerly Perovskia angustifolia Kudrjasch.  - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
4. Salvia klokovii J.B.Walker, formerly Perovskia linczevskii Kudrjasch.  - Tajikistan
5. Salvia kudrjaschevii (Gorschk. & Pjataeva) Systma  - Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
6. Salvia pobedimovae J.G.González, formerly Perovskia botschantzevii Kovalevsk & Kochk.  - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan
7. Salvia scrophulariifolia (Bunge) B.T.Drew  - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
8. Salvia yangii B.T.Drew  - Afghanistan, Pakistan, western Himalayas, Tibet, Xinjiang

Hybrids^[6]

1. Salvia × floriferior Dolat. & Ziel.  - so-called "Russian sage", also referred to as Perovskia × hybrida (unplaced taxon) and its synonym Perovskia × superba in Europe and Russia: (S. abrotanoides × S. yangii)
2. Perovskia × intermedia Lazkov  - Kyrgyzstan: (S. abrotanoides × S. karelinii)

Cultivation

Plants in cultivation are almost all hybrids, including Salvia 'Blue Spire', which is very likely Salvia × floriferior, a naturally occurring hybrid between the entire-leaved Salvia yangii and Salvia abrotanoides. The leaves of this breed have long narrow teeth (i.e. are laciniate), unlike S. yangii which has entire leaves with shallow teeth.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Drew, B.T., González-Gallegos, J.G., Xiang, C.L., Kriebel, R., Drummond, C.P., Walked, J.B. and Sytsma, K.J., 2017. Salvia united: The greatest good for the greatest number. Taxon, 66(1), pp.133-145.
2. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=150578 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
3. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=124612 Flora of China Vol. 17 Page 222 分药花属 fen yao hua shu Perovskia Karelin, Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou. 14: 15. 1841.
4. Seneta W, Dolatowski J, Zieliński J. Dendrologia, ed. 13, p.730.
5. Book: Gledhill, D. . The Names of Plants . 4 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-86645-3 . 2008 . 297.
6. Web site: Plants of the World Online Species Records of Perovskia . 2010-08-01.