Salvia africana spotted flowers

Big parts of the two-lipped Salvia africana corollas are white. An older species name, S. africana-caerulea, referred to the blue colouring also present. The blue on show varies in pale shades, darkest in the central dots of the lower lip and about palest on the stubbly exterior of the upper lip or hood.

More blue is contributed by the two-branched, down-curving style that emerges like a snake tongue from under the hood. Some obscure whitish and dark brown stamen appendage parts extend in front of the upper lip, lower than the hood.

The barrel- to funnel-shaped calyces that have lost their corollas are green with protruding purple and hairy ridges ending in longish, narrow lobes. Similar to the corollas, the calyces are not regular in shape as in radially symmetrical flowers (Manning, 2007; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Andrew, 2017; iNaturalist).