Herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs. Leaves simple or pinnately compound. Verticillasters 2- to many flowered, in racemes, panicles, or spikes, rarely solitary, axillary; bracteoles minute. Calyx tubular to campanulate, hairy or glabrous on throat inside, 2-lipped; upper lip entire, 2-toothed, or 3-mucronate; lower lip 2-toothed. Corolla 2-lipped; tube straight, horizontal, curved upward or adaxially dilated, with or without hairy annulus inside; upper lip folded, straight or falcate, apex entire or emarginate; lower lip spreading, 3-lobed; middle lobe widest, margin entire, apex emarginate, fringed, or 2-lobulate; lateral lobes oblong or circular, spreading or reflexed. Stamens 2; filaments short, horizontal or erect; connectives prolonged, linear, T-shaped; upper arms with fertile elliptic or linear anther cells; lower arms robust or slender, with fertile or sterile anther cells, separated or connected to each other; staminodes 2, small or absent. Style 2-cleft, lobes subulate, linear or circular, equal, anterior lobe larger or posterior lobe indistinct. Disc slightly swollen in front or ringlike. Nutlets triquetrous, ovoid or oblong, glabrous, smooth.

Salvia tiliifolia Vahl, an introduction from Central America and Mexico, should be added to the treatment of Salvia in the Flora of China based on specimens from western Guizhou, Sichuan, southeastern Xizang and Yunnan. The earliest known collection, from Yunnan (GH), was gathered in 1980, but based on its wide distribution, S. tiliifolia was almost certainly well-established before that.

About 900(-1100) species: tropical and temperate zones of the Old and New World, 84 species in China.

There are many taxonomic problems in the flora area, especially in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces; collation with the situation in the Himalaya is much needed.