This study provides insight into the pollen morphology of 13 species within the medicinally and taxonomically remarkable genus Salvia L. (Nepetoideae, Lamiaceae) occurring in Pakistan. Pollen was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. The findings revealed that the pollen are hexacolpate, isopolar, dispersed in monads, and range in size from medium to large (26.9-41.6 mu m in polar length and 26.6-42.3 mu m in equatorial diameter). The dominant pollen shape class based on polar axis to equatorial diameter ratio (P/E) is prolate-spheroidal (in 70% of species), whereas oblate-spheroidal (15%) and prolate (15%) shape types are also seen. The general outline in equatorial view is mostly ellipsoid (38.4%), whereas ellipsoid (15.3%), ellipsoidal to hexagonal (15.3%), ellipsoid to oval (15.3%), and hexagonal to circular (15.3%) are more common in polar view. Exine thickness showed significant variation among the studied species. The minimum exine thickness measured was 1.5 mu m in Salvia reflexa, while the maximum was 3.5 mu m in Salvia sclarea. Two distinct types of exine sculpture were identified: (i) bi-reticulate type (77% species) and (ii) reticulate-perforate type (23% species). The bi-reticulate type can be divided into sub-types based on the presence of one or two extra large central secondary lumina per primary lumen. Clustering and principal component analysis were performed based on six pollen characters, i.e. polar axis, equatorial diameter, exine thickness, colpus length, colpus width, and P/E ratio. Cluster analysis divided the taxa into three major groups, whereas principal component analysis confirmed distinctive variation in various pollen features of Pakistani Salvia. A taxonomic identification key was constructed for all studied taxa based on observed quantitative and qualitative traits. In conclusion, our study of pollen morphometric traits identified significant variations with taxonomic and evolutionary implications for grouping and delimitation in Pakistani Salvia.