Salvia aurea L.

Branched, very aromatic shrub to c. 2 m high; stems densely puberulent. Petioles 3–10 mm long, grey-tomentose and with numerous oil glands. Lamina 1.5–2.7 × 1–2 cm, suborbicular or elliptic, tomentose and glandular, entire or crenulate; base broad-cuneate to truncate; apex rounded. Verticels indistinct, forming a fairly dense, terminal, glandular-hairy infl.; fls subsessile; bracts c. 1 cm diam., orbicular, green, hairy below and with oil glands, persistent. Calyx c. 2 cm long at flowering, very strongly accrescent, broad-campanulate, with oil glands and scattered hairs outside; upper lip with 2, broad, rounded teeth; lower lip very broad and rounded; both lips somewhat brownish purple inside. Corolla 3.5–4.5 cm long, yellow in bud, brownish when expanded, with nerves hairy outside; upper lip very large, folded lengthwise and hooded. Stamens ± included; connective of fertile, upper arm c. 6× filaments, brown. Nutlets 2.8–3 mm long, ± broad-ovoid, with ventral ridge.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Aug.–Nov.