General: Mt. Charleston Purple Sage (Salvia dorrii spp. dorrii var. clokeyi) is a low, rounded shrub that has short, smooth, folded leaves and purple flowers that emerge from balls of reddish bracts.
Although the name is "sage," this plant is related to mints, not sagebrush.
Purple Sage is a fairly common component of vegetation communities in dry, well-drained gravelly areas at higher elevations in the Transition (Yellow Pine Forest) and Canadian (Pine-Fir Forest) life zones.
Around Las Vegas, look for Mt. Charleston Purple Sage up in the Spring Mountains, the only place where it grows.
Family: Mint (Lamiaceae).
Other Names: Clokey Sage, Clokey Purple Sage. |