Salvia subgenus Perovskia is a group of species within the flowering plant genus Salvia, which prior 2017 were treated as the separate genus Perovskia.[2] Members of the group are native to southwestern and central Asia.[3][4] It includes the garden plant Russian sage (Salvia × floriferior).[5]
The subgenus and former genus are named after the Russian general V. A. Perovski (1794-1857).[6]
Salvia × floriferior Dolat. & Ziel. – so-called "Russian sage", also referred to as Perovskia × hybrida (unplacedtaxon) and its synonym Perovskia × superba in Europe and Russia: (S. abrotanoides × S. yangii)
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.[5][8]
References
^"Genus: Perovskia Kar". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-09-10. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
^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.