Salvia caymanensis

Salvia caymanensis, the Cayman sage, is a short-lived perennial plant in the genus Salvia that is endemic to Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. It was thought to be extinct for nearly 40 years until it was rediscovered in 2007. After the damage caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, conservationists thought that conditions might be ideal for the reappearance of Salvia caymanensis if there was still viable seed in the wild. A wanted poster, offering a 1000 CI$ reward, led to the discovery of the first plants seen since 1967.[2]

Salvia caymanensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species:
S. caymanensis
Binomial name
Salvia caymanensis
Millspaugh & Uline

Description

Salvia caymanensis grows 50 to 100 cm (20 to 39 in) tall. The strictly erect stem is canescent above and woody below. The ovate-lanceolate leaves 2.5 to 3 cm (0.98 to 1.18 in) long and a 1 to 1.4 cm (0.39 to 0.55 in) wide. The leaves are pale and tomentose on the underside and pilose and dark green on the upperside. The petioles are one-fourth the length of the blade.

Rediscovery

In spring 2007 the Department of Environment of the Cayman Islands in cooperation with the Darwin Initiative, placed wanted posters on the island offering a reward of 1000 CI$ for any living examples of Cayman sage. The posters were timed to anticipate the usual flowering season of the plant. An island resident, slowed down by road work on the typically fast-moving Queen's Highway, saw the inconspicuous blue flowers from her car window, growing near the side of the road. After the initial discovery, 300 individual plants were found and approximately 18,000 seeds collected.[3]

Notes
  1. Burton, F.J.; Barrios, S. & Clubbe, C.P. (2016). "Salvia caymanensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 2007-07-31.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "Salvia caymanensis (Cayman sage)". Kew Plants & Fungi. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  3. ""Extinct" plant found on GC". Cayman Islands - Cay Compass News Online. 2007-07-26. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2011-02-27.

References
  • George R. Proctor Flora of the Cayman Islands, 1984. ISBN 0-11-242548-8
  • Charles Frederick Millspaugh: Plantae Utowanae. Plants collected in Bermuda, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, Culebras, Santo Domingo, Jamaica, Cuba, The Caymans, Cozumel, Yucatan and the Alacran shoals. Dec. 1898-Mar. 1899. The Antillean cruise of the yacht Utowana. Mr. Allison V. Armour, owner and master, 1900.
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