"Salvia tiliifolia (Lindenleaf Sage, Tarahumara chia) is an herbaceous annual in the Lamiaceae family that is native to Central America. The plant has spread in modern times into: South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia; into Texas and Arizona in the United States; into Africa, including South Africa and Ethiopia.
S. tiliifolia grows up to 3.3 feet tall, with broadly ovate and petiolate leaves, 2.0 to 3.9 inches long and 1.6 to 3.5 inches wide, that are slightly pubescent, with veins deeply recessed on the upper surface and exserted on the lower, with the margins finely and regularly crenate, bearing a strong resemblance to those of the Tilia or Linden tree. The inflorescence can be simple or paniculate with a hispid, ribbed calyx. The dark blue corolla is 2.0 to 3.9 inches long. It is morphologically similar to Salvia personata. Seeds are small and black.
The plant has spread to many countries, commonly growing in cultivated fields. First described as Salvia tiliaefolia by the botanist Martin Henrichsen Vahl in 1794, Salvia tiliifolia has become naturalised in Mexico, the United States, Ethiopia (1980s) and South Africa (1943). Its foothold in Ethiopia resulted from its presence in grain distributed in a humanitarian aid program following prolonged droughts, after which the species spread rapidly, being strongly aromatic and shunned by grazing and browsing animals."
Taken from wikipedia's page at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...
