Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, with the number of species estimated to range from 700 to nearly 3,000. Members include shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. There are three main regions of radiation of Salvia: Central and South America and Middle America and Mesoamerica, Latin America and with Africa-Eurasia and North America, (America), with approximately 600 species; North-Northern, Central and West-Western Asia and the Mediterranean with approx. 250 species; East-Eastern and South-Southern Asia and Australia and Oceania with approximately 90 species.
The naming of distinct Salvia species has undergone regular revision, with many species being renamed, merged, and reclassified over the years. Salvia officinalis (common sage), for example, has been cultivated for thousands of years, yet has been named and described under six different scientific names since 1940 alone. At one time there were over 2,000 named species and subspecies. A revision in 1988 by Gabriel Alziar of the Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice consolidated the number of different species to approximately 700. As new discoveries are made, the taxonomic list of Salvia species will continue to change.
The first significant accounting of the genus was done by George Bentham in 1832–1836, based on a similarity in staminal morphology between Salvia members. His work, Labiatarum Genera et Species (1836), is still the most comprehensive organization of Salvia. Even though there were only 291 species at that time, he still considered the possibility of forming five or six genera, due to differences between certain groups of Salvia. Bentham eventually organized the genus into four subgenera and twelve sections, based on differences in the corolla, calyx, and stamens. In the last 100 years, that system of organization is generally not endorsed by botanists.
The classification of Salvia has long been based on the genus' unusual pollination and stamen structure, which was presumed to have evolved only once. More recently, a study using DNA sequencing of Salvia species has shown that different versions of this lever mechanism have evolved at least three different times within Salvia. This clearly makes the genus non-monophyletic, which means that members of the genus have evolved from different ancestors, rather than sharing one common ancestor. The DNA analysis has shown that the genus may consist of as many as three different clades, or branches. The study concluded that Salvia is not a natural genus—some of its branches have a closer relationship to other genera in the tribe Mentheae than to other Salvia species.
, Plants of the World Online accepted 1024 species, listed below.
A
Salvia abrotanoides (Kar.) Sytsma Salvia absconditiflora Greuter & Burdet Salvia acerifolia B.L.Turner Salvia acuminata Ruiz & Pav. Salvia adenocaulon P.H.Davis Salvia adenophora Fernald Salvia adenophylla Hedge & Hub.-Mor. Salvia adiantifolia E.Peter Salvia adiyamanensis İlçim & Tel Salvia adoxoides C.Y.Wu Salvia aegyptiaca L. Salvia aequidens Botsch. Salvia aequidistans Fernald Salvia aerea H.Lév. Salvia aethiopis L. Salvia africana L. Salvia agnes Epling Salvia akiensis A.Takano, Sera & N.Kurosaki Salvia alamosana Rose Salvia alata Epling Salvia albicalyx J.G.González Salvia albicaulis Benth. Salvia albiflora M.Martens & Galeotti Salvia albimaculata Hedge & Hub.-Mor. Salvia albiterrarum J.G.González & Art.Castro Salvia albocaerulea Linden Salvia alborosea Epling & Játiva Salvia alexeenkoi Pobed. Salvia algeriensis Desf. Salvia ali-askaryi S.A.Ahmad Salvia aliciae E.P.Santos Salvia altimitrata Epling Salvia altissima Pohl Salvia alvajaca Oerst. Salvia amethystina Sm. Salvia amissa Epling Salvia amplexicaulis Lam. Salvia amplicalyx E.Peter Salvia amplifrons Briq. Salvia anastomosans Ramamoorthy Salvia anatolica Hamzaoglu & A.Duran Salvia andreji Pobed. Salvia anguicoma Epling Salvia angulata Benth. Salvia angustiarum Epling Salvia apiana Jeps. Salvia apparicii Brade & Barb.Per. Salvia appendiculata E.Peter Salvia arabica Al-Musawi & Weinert Salvia aramiensis Rech.f. Salvia arborescens Urb. & Ekman Salvia arduinervis Urb. & Ekman Salvia arenaria A.St.-Hil. ex Benth. Salvia areolata Epling Salvia areysiana Deflers Salvia argentea L. Salvia ariana Hedge Salvia aridicola Briq. Salvia aristata Aucher ex Benth. Salvia arizonica A.Gray Salvia arthrocoma Fernald Salvia articulata Epling Salvia aspera M.Martens & Galeotti Salvia asperata Falc. ex Benth. Salvia assurgens Kunth Salvia atrocalyx Epling Salvia atrocyanea Epling Salvia atropaenulata Epling Salvia atropatana Bunge Salvia atropurpurea C.Y.Wu Salvia atrorubra C.Y.Wu Salvia aucheri Benth. Salvia aurea L. Salvia aurita L.f. Salvia austriaca Jacq. Salvia austromelissodora Epling & Játiva Salvia axillaris Moc. & Sessé ex Benth. Salvia axilliflora Epling Salvia ayavazensis Kunth Salvia ayecarrenoae Mart.Gord., Fragoso & de Santiago Salvia aytachii Vural & Adigüzel Salvia azurea Michx. ex Vahl
B
Salvia bahorucona Urb. & Ekman Salvia baimaensis S.W.Su & Z.A.Shen Salvia balansae Noë ex Coss. Salvia balaustina Pohl Salvia baldshuanica Lipsky Salvia ballotiflora Benth. Salvia ballsiana (Rech.f.) Hedge Salvia bariensis Thulin Salvia barrelieri Etl. Salvia bazmanica Rech.f. & Esfand. Salvia beckeri Trautv. Salvia beltraniorum J.G.González, Pío-León & Art.Castro Salvia benthamiana Gardner ex Fielding Salvia betulifolia Epling Salvia bifidocalyx C.Y.Wu & Y.C.Huang Salvia biserrata M.Martens & Galeotti Salvia blancoana Webb & Heldr. Salvia blepharochlaena Hedge & Hub.-Mor. Salvia blepharophylla Brandegee ex Epling Salvia boegei Ramamoorthy Salvia bogotensis Benth. Salvia booleana B.L.Turner Salvia bowleyana Dunn Salvia brachyantha (Bordz.) Pobed. Salvia brachyloba Urb. Salvia brachyloma E.Peter Salvia brachyodon Vandas Salvia brachyodonta Briq. Salvia brachyphylla Urb. Salvia bracteata Banks & Sol. Salvia brandegeei Munz Salvia breviconnectivata Y.Z.Sun ex C.Y.Wu Salvia breviflora Moc. & Sessé ex Benth. Salvia brevilabra Franch. Salvia brevipes Benth. Salvia broussonetii Benth. Salvia buchananii Hedge Salvia bucharica Popov Salvia buchii Urb. Salvia bulleyana Diels Salvia bullulata Benth. Salvia bungei J.G.González Salvia bupleuroides C.Presl ex Benth.
C
Salvia caaguazuensis Briq. Salvia cabonii Urb. Salvia cabulica Benth. Salvia cacaliifolia Benth. Salvia cacomensis J.G.González, J.G.Morales & J.L.Rodr. Salvia cadmica Boiss. Salvia caeruleobracteata Mart.Gord., D.Sandoval & García-Mend. Salvia caespitosa Montbret & Aucher ex Benth. Salvia cajamarcana J.G.González, Uria & M.Roncal Salvia calaminthifolia Vahl Salvia calcicola Harley Salvia calderoniae Bedolla & Zamudio Salvia californica Brandegee Salvia calolophos Epling Salvia camarifolia Benth. Salvia campanulata Wall. ex Benth. Salvia campicola Briq. Salvia camporum Epling Salvia campylodonta Botsch. Salvia cana Wall. ex Benth. Salvia canariensis L. Salvia candelabrum Boiss. Salvia candicans M.Martens & Galeotti Salvia candidissima Vahl Salvia canescens C.A.Mey. Salvia carbonoi Fern.Alonso Salvia cardenasii J.R.I.Wood Salvia cardiophylla Benth. Salvia carduacea Benth. Salvia carnea Kunth Salvia carranzae Zamudio & Bedolla Salvia carreyesii J.G.González Salvia carrilloi Véliz & Quedensley Salvia cassia Sam. ex Rech.f. Salvia castanea Diels Salvia cataractarum Briq. Salvia caudata Epling Salvia cavaleriei H.Lév. Salvia caymanensis Millsp. & Uline Salvia cedronella Boiss. Salvia cedrosensis Greene Salvia celendina J.R.I.Wood & Uria Salvia ceratophylla L. Salvia cerinopruinosa Rech.f. Salvia cerradicola E.P.Santos Salvia chalarothyrsa Fernald Salvia chamaedryoides Cav. Salvia chamelaeagnea Berg. Salvia changchuniana B.Y.Ding, Z.H.Chen & X.F.Jin Salvia chanryoenica Nakai Salvia chapadensis E.P.Santos & Harley Salvia chapalensis Briq. Salvia chapmanii A.Gray Salvia chazaroana B.L.Turner Salvia chiapensis Fernald Salvia chicamochae J.R.I.Wood & Harley Salvia chienii E.Peter Salvia chinensis Benth. Salvia chionantha Boiss. Salvia chionopeplica Epling Salvia chionophylla Fernald Salvia chloroleuca Rech.f. & Aellen Salvia chorassanica Bunge Salvia chrysophylla Stapf Salvia chudaei Batt. & Trab. Salvia chunganensis C.Y.Wu & Y.C.Huang Salvia cilicica Boiss. Salvia cinnabarina M.Martens & Galeotti Salvia circinnata Cav. Salvia clarendonensis Britton Salvia clarkcowanii B.L.Turner Salvia clausa Vell. Salvia clementiae Pendry & Y.K.Wei Salvia clevelandii (A.Gray) Greene Salvia clinopodioides Kunth Salvia coahuilensis Fernald Salvia coccinea Buc'hoz ex Etl. Salvia cocuyana Fern.Alonso Salvia codazziana Fern.Alonso Salvia cognata Urb. & Ekman Salvia collinsii Donn.Sm. Salvia colonica Standl. & L.O.Williams ex Klitg. Salvia columbariae Benth. Salvia comayaguana Standl. Salvia compacta Kuntze Salvia compar (Wissjul.) Trautv. ex Sosn. Salvia compressa Vent. Salvia compsostachys Epling Salvia concolor Lamb. ex Benth. Salvia confertiflora Pohl Salvia confertispicata Fragoso & Mart.Gord. Salvia congestiflora Epling Salvia connivens Epling Salvia consobrina Epling Salvia corazonica Gilli Salvia cordata Benth. Salvia coriana Quedensley & Véliz Salvia corrugata Vahl Salvia costaricensis Oerst. Salvia costata Epling Salvia coulteri Fernald Salvia crucis Epling Salvia cruckshanksii Benth. Salvia cryptoclada Baker Salvia cryptodonta Fernald Salvia cualensis J.G.González Salvia cuatrecasasiana Epling Salvia cubensis Britton & P.Wilson Salvia curta Epling Salvia curticalyx Epling Salvia curviflora Benth. Salvia cuspidata Ruiz & Pav. Salvia cyanantha Epling Salvia cyanescens Boiss. & Balansa Salvia cyanicalyx Epling Salvia cyanocephala Epling Salvia cyanotropha Epling Salvia cyclostegia E.Peter Salvia cylindriflora Epling Salvia cynica Dunn
D
Salvia dabieshanensis J.Q.He Salvia daiguii Y.K.Wei & Y.B.Huang Salvia darcyi J.Compton Salvia dasyantha Lem. Salvia decora Epling Salvia decumbens Alain Salvia decurrens Epling Salvia densiflora Benth. Salvia dentata Aiton Salvia deserta Schangin Salvia deserti Decne. Salvia desoleana Atzei & V.Picci Salvia diamantina E.P.Santos & Harley Salvia dianthera Roth Salvia dichlamys Epling Salvia dichroantha Stapf Salvia digitaloides Diels Salvia discolor Kunth Salvia disermas L. Salvia disjuncta Fernald Salvia divaricata Montbret & Aucher ex Benth. Salvia divinorum Epling & Játiva Salvia dolichantha E.Peter Salvia dolomitica Codd Salvia dombeyi Epling Salvia dominica L. Salvia dorisiana Standl. Salvia dorrii (Kellogg) Abrams Salvia dorystaechas B.T.Drew Salvia drobovii Botsch. Salvia drusica Mouterde Salvia dryophila Epling Salvia dugesiana Epling Salvia dugesii Fernald Salvia dumetorum Andrz. ex Besser Salvia durangensis J.G.González Salvia durantiflora Epling Salvia duripes Epling & Mathias
E
Salvia ecbatanensis Stapf Salvia ecuadorensis Briq. Salvia eichleriana Heldr. ex Halácsy Salvia eigii Zohary Salvia eizi-matudae Ramamoorthy Salvia ekimiana Celep & Dogan Salvia elegans Vahl Salvia elenevskyi Pobed. Salvia emaciata Epling Salvia engelmannii A.Gray Salvia eplingiana Alziar Salvia eremophila Boiss. Salvia eremostachya Jeps. Salvia eriocalyx Bertero ex Roem. & Schult. Salvia eriophora Boiss. & Kotschy Salvia ernesti-vargasii C.Nelson Salvia ertekinii Yıld. Salvia erythropoda Rusby Salvia erythrostoma Epling Salvia espirito-santensis Brade & Barb.Per. Salvia euphratica Montbret & Aucher ex Benth. Salvia evadens J.G.González & Art.Castro Salvia evansiana Hand.-Mazz. Salvia exilis Epling Salvia expansa Epling Salvia exserta Griseb.
F
Salvia fairuziana R.M.Haber & Semaan Salvia falcata J.R.I.Wood & Harley Salvia farinacea Benth. Salvia filicifolia Merr. Salvia filifolia Ramamoorthy Salvia filipes Benth. Salvia fimbriaticalyx Mart.Gord. & Fragoso Salvia firma Fernald Salvia flaccida Fernald Salvia flaccidifolia Fernald Salvia flava Forrest ex Diels Salvia flocculosa Benth. Salvia florida Benth. Salvia fluviatilis Fernald Salvia fominii Grossh. Salvia forskaehlei L.