Salvia pogonochila Diels ex Limpr.

Herbs. Stems ascending, 30-50 cm, white pilose. Petiole 1-12 cm; stem leaf blades broadly ovate to triangular-hastate, 2.5-8 × 1.5-7 cm, adaxially pubescent, glabrous on veins, abaxially densely pubescent, sparsely rusty brown glandular, base cordate to hastate, margin crenate-dentate, apex acute. Inflorescences densely white villous, glandular hairy; verticillasters 2(-4)-flowered, in raceme-panicles to 25 cm; peduncle to 3.5 cm; bracts ovate-lanceolate. Pedicel ca. 3 mm. Calyx campanulate, violet when fresh, black-purple on veins, brownish or yellow-brown on upper lip when dry, 8-9 mm, villous, rusty brown glandular, 2-lipped to ca. 1/3 its length; upper lip broadly triangular, ca. 3 × 6 mm, apex 3 dentate; lower lip 2-cleft, teeth triangular, apex acute. Corolla blue-purple, 1.4-1.8 cm, tube campanulate, pilose, pilose annulate inside; upper lip suborbicular, ca. 4 × 5 mm, densely villous outside; middle lobe of lower lip broadly obovate, apex emarginate, ca. 3 × 5.5 mm; lateral lobes semicircular, ca. 3.5 mm wide. Filaments ca. 5 mm; connectives ca. 2 mm. Style exserted. Nutlets yellow-brown, obovoid, ca. 2.5 mm, apex rounded. Fl. Jul-Sep.

Sichuan.

* Alpine meadows; ca. 3800 m.

Salvia pogonochila is a perennial plant that is native to the Sichuan province in China, growing in alpine meadows at 3,800 m (12,500 ft) elevation. S. pogonochila grows on ascending stems to 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20 in) tall. The leaves are broadly ovate to triangular-hastate, ranging in size from 2.5 to 8 cm (0.98 to 3.15 in) long and 1.5 to 7 cm (0.59 to 2.76 in) wide. Inflorescences are in raceme-panicles up to 25 cm (9.8 in), with a blue-purple corolla that is 1.4 to 1.8 cm (0.55 to 0.71 in).