The flowers in the photo look pretty normal to me for iodantha. Are you comparing them to others you have? The foliage looks most like that of the Huntington form.

The Huntington form is different in having a peloric terminal flower, which is symmetric (five petals at the end of a tube without a hood or lower lips). These flowers are often found at the end of a determinate flower spike. The deep purple flower in the middle of a wild carrot flower head is probably another example.

The flower form is campanulate. The mint family is related to the Campanulaceae (bellflower family) at the subclass or superorder level (take your pick of whose system you want to follow)

That is gorgeous!

Brenda

Well Richard that may be the normal iodantha there but it isnt here, this is the normal iodantha.It is not a furry flower at all.

Cheers A.

Here is a link that might be useful: Salvia Iodantha normal

Oh dear!

Your normal iodantha looks like my purpurea!!! Always thought that there was a muddle with these, as there are many differing forms of each.....and numerous hybrids!

Robin.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh Robin my purpurea is purple,do you think my purpurea may be muddled as well:)

A.

Here is a link that might be useful: Salvia Purpurea

A dead giveaway for Salvia purpurea (of at least one form) is the gray farina covering the calyxes. The width to length ratio of the leaves is bigger generally with purpurea from most iodantha forms.

The bronze blush on the growing tops of new foliage and degree of purplish pigment on the under side of the leaves is also useful for separating the various forms of purpurea and iodantha (might as well toss in littae as well, which has both furry flowers and calyxes).