Lamiaceae
Mint Family
Prunella vulgaris L.
- Stem: perennial; 1’ to 2’ tall; unbranched below; smooth.
- Leaves: opposite; oval with tapering bases, tapering to sharp tips; 3” by 1 1/4”, and smaller; leaf stalks 1” below to nearly absent above, hairy; margins nearly smooth; smooth above and below.
- Inflorescence: flowers in a congested spike (to 1 1/2” long) at the stem and branch tips; each flower nearly obscured by a leafy bract, kidney-shaped, with an abrupt sharp tip and stiff marginal hairs.
- Flowers: purple corolla (1/2” long), tubular, with two lips; calyx 1/4” long with stiff-haired margins, elongating in fruit to become visible above the bract; flowering from early July to mid-August.
- Fruits: four nutlets (1/16” in diameter) maturing within the calyx; fruiting begins in mid-July.
- Habitat: common in moist open woods, on roadsides and prairies; tolerant of disturbance.
- Notes: Self heal is also found in Europe and Asia. There are both native and introduced varieties in Iowa. The introduced variety is found in more weedy habitats and has relatively wider leaves (see Eilers and Roosa 1994 and Glea-son and Cronquist 1991).
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
