Origin of the menorah

This was topical (for פרשת בהעלותך) when I first learned of this, but when I brought the sedra sheet home to blog from, it got buried beneath other things, and out of sight, out of mind...

Did you know that the shape of the menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum which is the symbol ancient and modern of the Jewish state, is closely based on that of a local plant, Salvia palestina?

(And once again, the only image I can find to illustrate my point comes from a nutty messianic site. *sigh*)