It is now Salvia whitehousei, since there was an old error that was corrected while compiling the Floristic Synthesis f North America by BONAP.

It is an rare endemic of west Texas related to S. texana and S. englemanii, and probably hard to grow successfully. I suspect scree and alkaline soils will be needed.

Check at the UT herbarium and with Pat McNeal. More info may be found in Barton Warnock's handbooks.

Rich :
Thanks! I have all of Barton's books he list S.summa
but not henryi,regla,lyciodes,greggii,farinacea,leptophylla
reflexa,and arizonica. But Barton had alot more plant locations in his head than in books. I will check the UT Herbarium and see if Pat has ran across it in his travels.I am going to have bring in some limestone scree from somewhere for my Collection down at our Botanical Gardens.
I will also check the Herbarium at Sul Ross when I go out
there next time.How are your plants doing with all your Rain?
Art

I have heard of this, but cannot understand the connection with the Chinese S. dolichantha?

Can anyone explain? If Whitehouseii is endemic to Texas, how on earth has dolichantha become involved????

Well, it was listed initially as S. dolichantha Whitehouse, and I noticed the nomenclatural conflict with the Chinese sage, which I had seen on herbarium sheets. The plant was carried by Dan Hinkley at Heronswood.

Since John Kartesz was working on the Floral Synthesis, I apprised him of the discrepancy, and he probably sought out Alizar, and a taxonomist (Cory) made an official correction. Since the Chinese S. dolichantha had been first named, it got to keep its name.

I just checked my three spiral bound Warnock handbooks, and it was not listed. Now that I crystallize my thinking more, it was probably in the Texas volume of Rickett's Wildflowers of the US where I first saw it.

Sorry Robin the mix up happened some time ago is should
be called Salvia whitehousei. These things happen sometimes in Taxonomy. Although with the internet there should not be
problems today.
Art

Sounds like a good salvia for the central texas area. Do you have this salvia, Art?

I don't think anyone has it. It is an endemic with a small population, and probably an endangered species. It will probably be as hard to grow as the unusual California sages, S. greatae and S. funerea, which require limy soils with unusual heat, sun, and moisture (absence) requirements.

Mara:
No, I don't have this Salvia but it may work out at your place. I have too much clay. As of lately we have had the absence of moisture. I do want to try some raised beds with a calache/limestone brought in for the dry loving Salvias
down at the Botanical gardens. I want to put salvias
from California and see if S.microphylla var.lemmonii might do better in that type of environment. I just dies in this clay I have.Did the S.engelmannii produce good seed?
How is the new bed you planted this spring doing?
Art

Yes, everything people mention here, I have. My dirt shines silver white under the fulll moon. 10" of rain. We did just get a a good soak but it is long gone down hill through tis more than perfect draining slanted rubble. Art, I did get A lot of seed from two wild populations of salvia englemanii. Do you want me to start some for you??. Things are going fairly slow this summer in my new bed, I have been somewhat distracted by health and work isues, so I have not staid up with the watering, nor completed the rock work. I have had some die back. I will send you a Email.