About Salvia greatae Brandegee
Salvia greatae Brandegee grows as a low, rounded shrub that reaches less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) in height. Its numerous branches are covered in tangled, glandular hairs. This species has non-deciduous, hairy leaves that grow up to 2 centimeters long; the edges of each leaf are lined with several long, sharp-pointed teeth that end in spines. Flowers grow in interrupted clusters along the stem branches. Each flower has a double-lipped tubular corolla around 1 centimeter long, colored pinkish purple. The corolla is encircled by spiny sepals, and the entire plant is aromatic. This plant is endemic to California, occurring in the mountainous Colorado Desert of southern Riverside County and northern Imperial County, primarily in the Orocopia and Chocolate Mountains. It grows in habitats within the Sonoran Desert ecoregion, found on floodplains and along the edges of washes. While its overall distribution is scattered, it can be a dominant species in patches of suitable habitat.
