Common Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
- Family: Mint (Lamiaceae)
- Flowering: May-September.
- Field Marks: Distinguishing features of this species are the crowded spikes consisting of many flowers subtended by many overlapping bracts.
- Habitat: Low woods, along streams, around ponds and lakes, in roadside ditches, wet prairies, as well as in drier habitats.
- Habit: Perennial herb with basal offshoots.
- Stems: Spreading to erect, 4-sided, hairy, up to 2 feet tall.
- Leaves: Opposite, simple, lanceolate to elliptic to narrowly ovate, rounded or pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, with or without teeth, usually hairy, up to 3 1/2 inches long, up to 1 1/2 inches broad; leaf stalks present.
- Flowers: Several crowded into cylindrical spikes; each flower 1/2 to 1 inch long, subtended by a ciliate bract.
- Sepals: 2-lipped, green or purple, hairy; the upper lip 3-toothed; the lower lip 2-lobed.
- Petals: 2-lipped, purple or white, up to 1 inch long; the upper lip unlobed; the lower lip 2-lobed.
- Stamens: 4, curved under the upper lip of the corolla.
- Pistils: Ovary superior, 4-parted; stigmas 2-cleft.
- Fruits: Nutlets 4, dark brown, ribbed, shiny, about 1/10 inch long.
- Notes: This plant is also known as heal-all.
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