I am awaiting a digital image from Peckerwood Gardens of the original planting of Lollie Jackson. I'm pretty sure the mexicana that I distributed with that name came from them, along with a number of others, like Tula and Ocampo. That was back in the mid 80s, and they were the first accessions of that species that I got. My labels indicated that the tall, deep purple Salvia mexicana with the really dense spikes was Lollie Jackson, and seed from this plant found its way to Australia, where selected seedlings were christened Lollie.
Almost two years ago, I received a request for Lollie Jackson, and about that time, my last stock plant gave up the ghost, prompting me to find a fresh start. That's when I found out that Lollie Jackson was supposed to have chartreuse calyxes like Tula and Limelight. Last spring, I finally found some stock, which I am propagating.
It has broader, glossier leaves than Limelight, but the foliage is different from the deep purple mexicana that I am also trying to identify. It's not as big as Ocampo, which has a less dense, more open flower spike, so it is different. It is also similar to my collections from sites along the old PanAm highway (Mex Fed 85) in Hidalgo, near La Placita and Puerto de la Zorra, which are typical forms with midnight purple flowers and calyxes.
Courtesy of Rolando Uria, I have seed of Lollie and a new, promising hybrid, Lolita. I hope to do some breeding this summer myself.
The image is a flat bed scan of the deep purple Lollie Jackson, which is in need of its true varietal name.
Here is S. mexicana Limelight at the J C Raulston Arboretum on 10/19/2013
The calyxes of Limelight are a pure chartreuse. Others seem to have darker veins.
