Salvia hierosolymitana

Salvia hierosolymitana is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae.[1][2] It is a herbaceous perennial commonly called Jerusalem salvia or Jerusalem sage that is native to the eastern Mediterranean, with populations in Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.[3][4] It typically grows in open fields, rocky soils, and among low-growing native shrubs. It was first described in 1853 by botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier, with the epithet "hierosolymitana" referring to "royal, sacred Jerusalem".

Salvia hierosolymitana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Genus:	Salvia
Species:	S. hierosolymitana
Binomial name
Salvia hierosolymitana Boiss.
Synonyms[1]
Salvia hierosolymitana var. chlorocalycina (Bornm.) Feinbrun

It forms a mound of basal leaves that spreads to 2 ft, and slightly less in height. The ovate mid-green leaves are evergreen, lightly covered with hairs, and with a scalloped margin, growing 8–10 in long with prominent veining underneath. The 1 in or smaller flowers are a wine-red color, growing in widely spaced whorls, with 2-6 flowers per whorl. The lower lip is white, with wine-red spotting. The calyces are pea-green with red veins and bracts edged in red. The square stem of the 1 ft long inflorescences are also edged in red. Unlike many salvias, there is no odor when the leaves are crushed, and there is no known medicinal use of this plant.[5]

Male digger bee (Anthophora dufourii) pollinating Salvia hierosolymitana, Mount Carmel, Israel

In Palestinian cuisine, the leaves are being stuffed with meat and rice then cooked with lamb riblets.