Salvia veneris (Salvia veneris)
Description
Salvia veneris, the Kythrean sage, is a species of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family that is endemic to Cyprus. It is found in a very small area just west of the village of Kythrea. A study in 2004 found only approximately 4,000 surviving plants. Salvia veneris has felt-like leaves growing in a basal rosette. The flowers are bi-colored, with the upper lip blue and the lower lip white with pale yellow markings. The stems give off a pleasant fragrance when crushed. The basal rosette leaf habit is unusual in the Salvia genus, and is thought to be an adaptation to grazing by goats.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Lamiales
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Family: Lamiaceae
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Genus: Salvia
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