Giant salvia

Appearance

Leaves opposite, more or less broadly ovate, sometimes purple-tinged, 10-40 cm long, often cordate at the base but lamina running back down into a winged petiole; margin coarsely toothed with small and large teeth. Flowers in a more or less open, branched purplish inflorescence, 10-40 cm long. Corolla pale to bright blue, mauve, violet or purple, 2 lipped; upper lip 25-52 mm long, covered with purplish glandular hairs; lower lip 17-40 mm long, 3-lobed. Capsule 25-45 mm long, glandular-hairy.

Naming

Synonyms:
Brillantaisia grandidentata S. Moore
Brillantaisia subulugurica Burkill
Brillantaisia ulugurica Lindau

Distribution

Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Usually in wet depressions in the understory and at the margins of evergreen forest, often forming extensive colonies, at 500 - 1610 m.