Prunel la V ulgari s . S elf-heal
PRUNELLA Lin. Gen. PI. DidynamiA Gymnospermia.
Filamenta bifurca: altero apicfi antherifero; Stigma bifidum.
Rail Syn. Gen. 14. Suffrutices et Herb® verticillat®;
^RUNËLLA vulgaris foliis omnibus ovato-oblongis ferratis petiolatis. Lin. Syfi. Vtgetab. p. 458.
• Sp. PI. 837. FI. Suec. 540.
BRUNELLA foliis ovatis oblongis calycibus fuperne truncatis; ,Hallen Hiß. h. 2771
BRUNELLA vulgaris. Scopoli FI. Cam. 715.
PRUNELLA major Folio non diflèdo. Bauh.pin. i6o.
PRUNELLA Gerard, èmac. 631.
PRUNELLA vulgaris; Parkinf. ï 680; Rail Syn. p; 238. Common Self-heal. Hïidfon. FU Anvl.
■ ed. 2. p. 264. Ligbtfoot Flor. Scot. p. 32 !. ' 5
RADIX annua, fib’rofiffima. ? ROOT annual, and exceedingly fibrous.
CAULIS dodrantalis, pedalis et ultra, eredus, ad bafin | STALK from half a foot, to a foot or more in height
ufque ramofus, geniculatus, geniculis inferiori- * upright-, branched quite down to the bottom*
bus radicantibus, fubquadratus, utrinque canali- | jointed, the lowermoft joints fending down
culatus, hirfutus, purpufafcens. § roots, fomewhat fquare, with a deep groove on
I each fide, rough and purplifh.
RAMI cauh fimiles, adfcendentes, alterne oppofiti* infe-J BRANCHES like the ftalk, bending upward, alternatelv
rioribus longioribus. | oppolite, the lower ones longed:.
FOLIA oppofita, petiolata, ovata, plana, patentia, pundis | LEAVES oppofite, ftanding on footftalks ovate flat
prominuhs fcabriufcula, obfolete dentata po-| fpreading, rough with little prominent points*
tius quara ferrata. | faintly indented on the edge, rather than
¥ fawed..
PETIOLI fupeme canaliculati, marginibus h'lrfutis. | LEAF-STALKS hollow abore'. and hairy on the edees.
SPICiE terminales, fefliles, fubcylindricae, pollicares, | SPIKES terminal, feffile, fomewhat cylindrical about an
truncate, e floribus verticillatis breviter pedi-1 inch in length, as if cut ofFat top, compofed of
cellatis et bridals conftantes, | floral leaves and flowers Handing On fliort foott
ftalks.
BRACTEuE cordate, late, acuminate, fubdiaphanse, | FLORAL-LEAVES heartlhaped, broad and pointed
yenofe, cihate, fubtus hirfute, fupra glabra. | fomewhat tranfparent, veiny, edged with hairs’
| hirfute on the under fide, lmooth and Aiming
¥ above. °
VERTICILLI fexflori. | WHIRLS fix flo wers in each.
CALYX: Perianthium tubulatum, bradsis paulof CA L YX : a tubular Pekianthium, fomewhat longer
lonfrius. bianpulatum. funra o-lahmm trinpr. x tl-m,-.longius,biangulatum,fupra glabrum, triner-¥ tko .... ........ A
veum, fubtus ftriatum, ängulis ciliatis, bilabia- Ï
turn; labio fuperiore depreflb-plano, truncato, ¥
crenato, minutim tridentato, lateribus planis, |
inferiore anguftiore, bifido, laciniis acuminatis. |
H I . i
than the floral-leaves, angular on each fide,
fmooth above, with three faint ribs, ftriated below,
the angles edged with hairs, compofed of
two lips, the uppermoft of which is flat, and
fomewhat deprefled, cut off at top, terminated
by three final 1 teeth, tile Tides flat, the lower
f lip narrower, bifid, the fegments long and
. ¥ pointed. . jig» 1. .
COROLLA violacea, caduca, monopetala, ringens, pars | COROLLA of a violet colour, eafily falling, monopeta-
tubulofa calyce paulo longior, labium fiaperius $ Jous and ringent, the tubular part a little longer
concavum, integrum, fuperne villofum, infe-1 than the calyx, the upper lip hollow, entire
rius trifidum, laciniis lateralibus integris, de- | and villous above, the lower lip divided into
(lexis, intermedia ereda, rotundata, denticulata. | three fegments, of which the fide-ones are '
I entire and bend downward, the middle one up-
„ $ right, round, and finely toothed. Jig. 2.
b l AMINA: Filamenta quatuor, fubulata-, violacea, | STAMINA: four F ilaments, tapering, of a violet co-
bifurca* quorum duo.breviora; Anther® bi-f lour, forked at top, of which two are longer
lobs, lobis divergentibus, furca interiore infi- J than the others ; A nther.® compoled of two
dentes. Jig. 3. | lobes, which diverge and fit on the inner fork.
t’ISTILLÜM: G erMen quadripartitum, glandula ere- JPISTILLUM^ Ge-rmen divided into four parts, fur-
nata cindum ; Stylus filifo'rmis, longitu-1 rounded by a notched gland ; Sty le filiVorm
dine ftaminum; Stigma bifidum, acutum.| the length of the ftamina; Stigma bifid and
4’ 5» 6’ 7- I pointed. Jig. 4, 5, 6, 7.
ÖÜMINA quatuor,, ovata, parva, obtufe angulata, glabra, | SEEDS four, ovate, ïmall, obtüfely angular, fmooth
fufea, mucrone albo terminata» Jig. 8. | brown, and terminated by a white point. Jig. 8^
In “ any of the natural clafles of plants, the feveral genera approximate fo much, that it is difficult: to find out a
character which ffiall obvioufly diftinguifh them; fuch a charader is however afforded in the prefent plant If the
filaments are examined, each of them will be found forked at the extremity, and the anthera iuftained on the inner-
“ * 01 * 41S B - he f°-rk 5 befideS M curious and uncommon ftrudure, the middle fegment of the lower lip is finely
oot ed. This is noticed by T ournefort in his figures of this genus, but the former wholly omitted It did
not however efcape the penetrating L inn®üs, who confiders it as the eflential cliarader of the Prunella; nor is the
caiyx in this plant undeferving of pur attention, whether we confider its ftrudure, or the Angular manner in which
it clofes up to preferve the feeds. wmen
r>r'T ^e nelf~be.al, has an herbaceous royghifh tafte, and hence ftands recommended in alvine fluxes; it has been
fauces^ ^D z^p&2VulneraF^r whence its name» and in gargarifms for apthas, and inflammations of the
Vf ry comm°nIy }a meadows and paftures, and flowers in June and July. Its blofloms, which are ufuallv
A -j- colour»-arc Sometimes found white, and fometimes réd. 7 -
ccoi mg to L inn®us’ s experiments, kine, goats, and fheep, eat i t ; but horfes refufe it.