Salvia L. (family Lamiaceae), a large genus of over 1000 species, is widely distributed throughout tropical and temperate regions of the world. Eight-four species are native to China. However, there are many taxonomic uncertainties at the sub-generic level. Diterpenoids are a class of secondary metabolites with a large variety of structures that have been used as chemotaxonomic markers at infra-and suprageneric levels. For the sake of further chemotaxonomic understanding of Salvia, the present study investigated the distribution of tanshinones, a group of biologically active diterpenes known to be present in some Chinese members of the genus. Using high-pressure liquid chromatography with a diode array detector, tanshinones in various Salvia species were determined and the distribution supported the circumscription of sect. Drymosphare in the original sense of Bentham. Therefore, the distribution of tanshinones provides a valuable chemotaxonomic tool for determining infrageneric differences within Salvia.