Lance-leaf sage

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Lance-leaf sage corollas

Lance-leaf sage post-flowering

Lance-leaf sage

Lance-leaf sage leaves

Lance-leaf sage calyces

Morphology

Stem

Erect or ascending, branched above base, minutely pubescent to glabrous.

Leaves

Opposite, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, up to 2 inches long, less than 1/2 inch wide, usually glabrous above, pubescent or glabrous below; margins entire to slightly toothed; tips blunt or rounded; stalks 1/5 to 4/5 inch long.

Inflorescence

Spike-like, interrupted, 2-6-flowered clusters; bracts lanceolate, less than 1/4 inch long, much shorter than calyx.

Flower

Flowers mostly opposite, 1 per axil; calyx bell-shaped, 1/4 to 1/3 inch long, 2-lipped; corolla 2-lipped, 1/4 to 1/3 inch long, dark to pale blue or whitish, minutely pubescent outside, glabrous inside; upper lip cap-like; lower lip turned downward; corolla tube protruding only slightly from the calyx; stamens 2.

Fruit

Nutlets, egg-shaped, about 1/10 inch long, smooth, tan, mottled with dark brown.

Ecology

Habitat

Disturbed areas, pastures, roadside ditches, and prairie washes; dry, sandy or gravelly soils.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Toxicity

Toxic to cattle, sheep and goats due to its accumulation of nitrates. This can also occur when it is fed in hay. However, this is rarely a problem because animals must consume large amounts of the plant and it occurs infrequently.

Additional Notes