Salvia bifidocalyx C. Y. Wu & Y. C. Huang

Distinguished in the original description from Salvia flava by the smaller corolla only slightly longer than the calyx.

Plants perennial. Stems few, slender, ascending, to 33 cm, densely puberulent, apex villous. Leaves 2 or 3 pairs; petiole of basal leaves 7-9 cm, 1-4.5 cm in stem leaves; leaf blade hastate, 2-5 × 1.7-3 cm, papery, adaxially pubescent except for veins, abaxially sparsely purple-black glandular, pubescent on veins, base hastate, margin crenulate, apex ± acute. Verticillasters 2(-4)-flowered, in terminal racemes or panicles (1-)2-9 cm; lower bracts leaflike; upper bracts ovate, shorter than calyx, purple-black glandular. Pedicel 3-5 mm. Calyx campanulate, 1-1.2 cm, densely villous, glandular pilose, 2-lipped to ca. 1/2 its length; upper lip triangular-ovate, ca. 6 mm; lower lip ca. 5 mm, teeth ovate-triangular; fruiting calyx dilated, broadly campanulate, membranous. Corolla yellow-brown with purple-black spots on lower lip, 1.5-1.7 cm; tube imperfectly hairy annulate inside; upper lip slightly reflexed, slightly concave, purple-black glandular; middle lobe of lower lip largest, obcordate, 5-5.5 mm wide. Stamens exserted; filaments ca. 4 mm; connectives ca. 6 mm. Nutlets unknown. Fl. Jul.

Yunnan

* Rocky mountains; ca. 3500 m.

Salvia bifidocalyx is a perennial plant that is native to Yunnan province in China, found growing on rocky mountains at 3,500 m (11,500 ft) elevation. S. bifidocalyx has a few slender ascending stems that reach 33 cm (13 in) tall, with hastate leaves that are 2 to 5 cm (0.79 to 1.97 in) long and 1.7 to 3 cm (0.67 to 1.18 in) wide.

Inflorescences are 2–4 flowered verticillasters in terminal racemes or panicles, 2 to 9 cm (0.79 to 3.54 in) long. The 1.5 to 1.7 cm (0.59 to 0.67 in) corolla is yellow-brown, with purple-black spots on lower lip.