Phlomis (redirected from Jerusalem sage)

Phlomis 

a genus of perennial herbs, sometimes subshrubs, of the family Labiatae with predominately oval or triangular leaves and bilabiate flowers clustered into false whorls forming spicate inflorescences. The corollas may be pink, purple, or sometimes yellow. There are about 100 species in the temperate zone of the Old World. In the USSR there are about 50 species, growing primarily in the mountains of Middle Asia. The species Ph. tuberosa, whose tuberous roots may be used as food, grows in dry areas. It is used for fodder (in the spring) and is a nectariferous and ornamental plant. The species Ph. thapsoides, growing in the Pamiro-Alai, is used as fodder primarily for sheep and camels.