{"id":2122,"date":"2017-03-10T18:26:41","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T07:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/salvias.org.au\/?page_id=2122"},"modified":"2026-03-11T10:22:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T23:22:01","slug":"salvia-microphylla-greggii-forms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/salvias.org.au\/?page_id=2122","title":{"rendered":"Differences between microphylla & greggii Salvias"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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MICROPHYLLA & GREGGII SALVIAS<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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MICROPHYLLA & GREGGII SALVIAS<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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MICROPHYLLA & GREGGII SALVIAS<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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MICROPHYLLA & GREGGII SALVIAS<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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MICROPHYLLA & GREGGII SALVIAS<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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MICROPHYLLA & GREGGII SALVIAS<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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How to tell the difference between a microphylla and a greggii.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While the flowers of both species are similar, the leaves of a\u00a0S. greggii<\/em>\u00a0are narrow, smooth-edged, no notches\u00a0 with smooth mat surfaces, veins not evident, the stem well clothed, all branches come from a single stem.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Salvia greggii \u2018Grace\u2019<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The leaves of S. microphylla, on the other hand, are larger, often more heart-shaped or oblong, veins easily seen and rounded toothed edges. Many microphylla plants are multi stemmed. Many have a tendency to gradually spread from underground stems.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Salvia microphylla \u2018Musk\u2019<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Those of\u00a0S.x jamensis<\/em>\u00a0are somewhere in between, often showing a long thinish leaf that looks like a\u00a0greggii<\/em>. This shows that the plant has a\u00a0greggii<\/em>\u00a0dominant parent, often there will be one or two notches telling that it is a X. The leaf is larger and the surfaces are usually shiny. The plant has a more open habit and sometimes\u00a0 have a more lax habit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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microphylla lvs<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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greggii leaves<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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greggii x microphylla<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Another distinguishing feature is the presence of a pair of papillae\u00a0 (2 tiny finger-like growths) inside the base of the corolla tube of\u00a0S. microphylla<\/em>, and generally in any offspring with this as a parent, but not present in\u00a0S. greggii<\/em>. Furthermore, most forms of\u00a0S. microphylla<\/em>\u00a0are taller than those of\u00a0S. greggii<\/em>, (\u00a0S. greggii<\/em>\u00a0grows from one stem) and S.\u00a0microphylla<\/em>\u00a0may have a tendency to spread from underground shoots almost to the point of nuisance value in the case of\u00a0S. microphylla\u00a0<\/em>\u2018Cyclamen\u2019, \u2018Pink Blush\u2019 and \u2019Musk\u2019, these are generally more robust forms.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Salvia microphylla varieties include:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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S. microphylla var microphylla
S. microphylla var neurepia\u00a0 (syn Grahamii)
S. microphylla var wislizenii
S. x jamensis have a few under this name.<\/p>

It should also be noted that the word\u00a0variety<\/strong>\u00a0can also used loosely\u00a0 in reference to the various\u00a0forms of<\/strong>: If a plant is a variety it will always have\u00a0var<\/strong>\u00a0in the middle of the name as with S. microphylla\u00a0var<\/strong>\u00a0neurepia.<\/p>

Please note that only a few\u00a0 x jamensis originated from the area of James in Mexico. Just because the plant is a X does not mean it automatically becomes a X jamensis.<\/p>

Most\u00a0 Salvia crosses are natural hybrids, found in gardens, here in Australia and other countries.
Some commercial companies have created Salvia cultivars e. g The Fischer Collection collection and many recent releases.
These are not microphylla or greggii crosses but other forms of Salvias.<\/p>

It should also be noted that the word\u00a0variety<\/strong>\u00a0can also used loosely\u00a0 in reference to the various\u00a0forms of<\/strong>: If a plant is a variety it will always have\u00a0var<\/strong>\u00a0in the middle of the name as with S. microphylla\u00a0var<\/strong>\u00a0neurepia.
Check the other pages for microphylla hybrids and crosses .<\/p>

The earliest description of\u00a0S. microphylla<\/em>\u00a0was made by a botanist named Kunth in the early 19th century.\u00a0 Then in 1939, Epling published a comprehensive work on the Salvia species of the new world in which he describes\u00a0S. microphylla\u00a0<\/em>as displaying considerable variation, especially in the foliage, as though the species was in the process of evolving into possibly three geographical races.\u00a0 Adding to the confusion are the various other names that have been thrown into the ring:\u00a0S. grahami<\/em>\u00a0in the USA, as\u00a0S. microphylla<\/em>\u00a0was named by Bentham,\u00a0\u00a0S. neurepia<\/em>\u00a0by Fernald, and then\u00a0S. microphylla\u00a0<\/em>var\u00a0\u00a0wislizenii<\/em>, named by Gray, as well as a few more synonyms.<\/p>

By going with the ruling that the first recorded name and description is the one that stays, we decided to stick with the findings of James Compton in a 1994 publication (1) whereby the species consists of type and two varieties as follows:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Salvia microphylla var microphylla<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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(the type): leaves generally less than 2.5cm long, ovate or elliptic, with an acute or obtuse apex. This plant grows to about 1.2m, becomes a bit woody and spreads readily.\u00a0 The red flowers, smaller than those of the variety below) show two small papillae in the base of the corolla. Flowers opposite, in pairs on elongating racemes 10 \u2013 20cm long. The plants we have came from Judi Forrester of Otway Herbs, brought in to Australia by seed from NW Seeds, Arizona.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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microphylla var microphylla<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Salvia microphylla var neurepia: syn S. grahamii<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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T<\/strong>he are leaves larger \u2013 up to 5cm long, elliptic, apex obtuse or acute. This is the form that was widely called Graham\u2019s Sage in horticulture in the USA, and consequently here too, as it has been around in gardens for many decades.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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microphylla var neurepia<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Salvia microphylla var wislizenii :<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This form has the most stable characters, deltoid, acuminate or acute leaves, narrow caudate bracts and a more congested inflorescence, with flowers more red \/ magenta than the others. This form does not spread and it tends to lose its leaves in winter in cold districts, but may keep it\u2019s leaves in warmer suburbs. This is almost certainly synonymous with Salvia lemmonii<\/em>, named in 1886 by Gray, who later decided it was a variety of\u00a0S. microphylla<\/em> after all. James Compton thinks it not significantly different enough to warrant its own specific rank, but that it should probably be elevated to subspecies status (Note: sub species rank applies to variations due to geography, in this case, the western Sierra Madre in Mexico and Arizona) The plants we have come from seed of S. lemmonii.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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microphylla var wislizenii<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Salvia \u2018Baby Sage\u2019. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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More confusion here, because this appears on some internet sites as synonymous with\u00a0S. microphylla.<\/em>\u00a0 It appears to be a form of\u00a0S. microphylla<\/em>, from its leaf shape and the presence of pronounced papillae at the base of the corolla tube and its spreading habit, but everything about the plant is small. The leaves are generally less than 20mm long. The flowers are smaller (15 mm), a watermelon red, with the bottom lip cupped, but not deeply indented. Our plants all originated from one bought from Phil Bear in Olinda in the early 1990s. This is a mystery one. Its smaller leaves are a good fit with the botanical name, \u201cmicro-phylla\u201d\u00a0<\/em>(small leaves), but the original descriptions of the type species have larger leaves than this!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Forms similar to \u2019Baby Sage\u2019 that have appeared on the market that have clearly been derived from \u2018Baby Sage\u2019 as a parent are \u2018Miss Scarlett\u2019 \u2013 everything about this plant is similar, in size from the leaves to the flowers. What sets this apart is that \u2018Miss Scarlett\u2019 grows taller, has redder flowers and shows the typical striping down the stems \u2013 but when young and with out flowers, this hybrid can be mistaken for \u2019Baby Sage\u2019.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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microphylla \u2018Miss Scarlett\u2019<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There are so many cultivars available in Australia, involving\u00a0S. microphylla<\/em>\u00a0as a parent: \u2018Cyclamen\u2019, \u2018Cerise\u2019, \u2018Hot Lips\u2019, Huntington\u2019, \u2018Margaret Arnold\u2019,\u00a0 \u2018Martine\u2019, \u2018Musk Pink\u2019, \u2018Pink Blush\u2019, \u2018Red\u2019, \u2018San Carlos Festival\u2019, some of the \u2018Heatwave\u2019 series. In recent times more bicoloured forms have been found, e.g. \u2018Sweet Laura\u2019, \u2018Pearlescence\u2019, \u2018Partytime\u2019 and a few others.<\/p>

The list is endless. See page of greggii and microphylla hybrids here in Australia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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References:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Compton, J. 1994: Mexican Salvias in Cultivation. The Plantsman, vol 15, pp200 \u2013 205
Epling, C. 1939: A Revision of the Subgenus Calosphace, Beihefte 110, Fedde Repertorium Spec.Nov
Lumley, P. & Spencer, R. 1991: Plant Names: A guide to Botanical Nomenclature, RBG, Mmelbourne
Clebsch, B. 2003: A new Book of Salvias, pp 192 \u2013 196
Froissart, C. 2008: La Connnaissance des Sauges, pp 185-186<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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