Salvia evansiana Hand.-Mazz.

Plants perennial. Stems erect, 13-45 cm, striate, densely brown villous or glabrescent. Petiole 2-10(-20) cm; leaf blade ovate to triangular-ovate, 2-11 × 1-11 cm, adaxially densely strigose-villous, spreading brown villous, sparsely dark brown glandular along veins, base cordate, rarely shallow hastate, margin crenate, apex acute to rounded. Verticillasters 6-flowered, crowded apically, lax basally, in racemes or panicles 10-20 cm; rachis brown villous; bracts villous, ciliate at margin, abruptly acuminate to acute at apex; upper bracts ovate, to 1.7 cm. Pedicel ca. 8 mm, brown villous. Calyx broadly campanulate, 1-1.7 cm, sparsely dark brown glandular outside, villous on veins; upper lip broad ovate, ca. 5 × 13 mm, entire or 3-mucronate; lower lip longer than upper, teeth triangular, apical spine to 1 mm. Corolla straight, 2.6-3.5 cm, pilose; tube pilose annulate inside, 2-3.4 cm, ca. 5 mm wide below annulus, adaxially abruptly dilated beyond annulus, ca. 1.1 cm wide at throat; upper lip semicircular, 5-7 mm; lateral lobes ovate, ca. 4 mm wide. Filaments ca. 4.5 mm; connectives short, 2-3 mm, arcuate, upper arms shorter than to as long as lower arms. Fl. Jul-Oct.

Sichuan, Yunnan

* Alpine meadows, hillsides, forests; 3400-4300 m.

Salvia evansiana is a perennial plant that is native to Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China, found growing on alpine meadows, hillsides, and forests at elevations from 3,400 to 4,300 m (11,200 to 14,100 ft). It has erect stems growing 13 to 45 cm (5.1 to 17.7 in) tall, with ovate to triangular-ovate leaves that are 2 to 11 cm (0.79 to 4.33 in) long and 1 to 11 cm (0.39 to 4.33 in) wide.

Inflorescences are racemes or panicles that are 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in) long, with a straight corolla that is 2.6 to 3.5 cm (1.0 to 1.4 in) long.

There are two varieties, with slight differences in bract and calyx size. The most notable difference is in the color of the corolla: Salvia evansiana var. evansiana has a flower that is blue-purple, with some yellow at the base. Salvia evansiana var. scaposa has a white or cream-yellow flower.