common selfheal
(Prunella vulgaris ssp. vulgaris)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
|
|||||||
| IUCN Red List | not listed |
|||||||
| NatureServe | NNR - Unranked SNA - Not applicable |
|||||||
| Minnesota | not listed |
|||||||
Wetland Indicator Status |
||||||||
| Great Plains | FAC - Facultative |
|||||||
| Midwest | FAC - Facultative |
|||||||
| Northcentral & Northeast | FAC - Facultative |
|||||||
Description |
||
Common selfheal (ssp. vulgaris) is a 4″ to 20″ tall, perennial forb that rises on one or more stems from fibrous roots. The stems can be drooping, almost laying flat on the ground, to almost erect. They are unbranched, 4-angled, and winged. The leaves are opposite, egg-shaped to oblong egg-shaped, ⅝″ to 2⅜″ long, and ¼″ to 1″ wide. The middle stem leaves are half as wide as long. They are on ¼″ to 1″ long leaf stalks. The upper surface is almost hairless or is covered with very small, coarse, stiff hairs. The lower surface is almost hairless. The margins are wavy. The inflorescence is an egg-shaped, ¾″ to 2″ long, and ⅝″ to ¾″ wide spike of many flowers at the end of the stem. The flowers are ⅜″ to ¾″ long. There are 5 petals fused at the base into a tube about ⅛″ long, then separated into an upper and lower lip. The upper lip is purple, almost round, hood-like, about 3 ⁄16″ in diameter, and notched at the tip. The lower lip is white and about half as long as the upper lip. It is divided into 3 lobes, a large central lobe and 2 smaller lateral lobes. The lateral lobes are about 1 ⁄16″ long and spreading. The central lobe is about ⅛″ long, strongly bent downward, and fringed at the tip. There are 4 stamens that are concealed under the hood. The fruit is a smooth brownish-yellow nutlet about 1 ⁄16″ long. |
||
Height |
||
4″ to 20″ |
||
Flower Color |
||
Purple to violet-blue |
||
Similar Species |
||
Lance selfheal (Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata) leaves tend to be a little shorter and much narrower, no more than 1½″ long and ⅜″ wide. They are lance-shaped to oblong lance-shaped. The middle stem leaves are ⅓ as wide as long. The upper and lower surfaces are hairless or have sparse, long, soft, shaggy, unmatted hairs. The margins are untoothed. |
||
Habitat |
||
Disturbed sites. |
||
Ecology |
||
Flowering |
||
June to October |
||
Pests and Diseases |
||
|
||
Use |
||
|
||
Distribution |
||||
|
Sources |
|||
| 7/7/2022 | ||||
Nativity |
||||
Native |
||||
Occurrence |
||||
|
||||
Taxonomy |
|||
| Kingdom | Plantae (green algae and land plants) | ||
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (green plants) | ||
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) | ||
| Superdivision | Embryophyta (land plants) | ||
| Division | Tracheophyta (vascular plants) | ||
| Subdivision | Spermatophytina (seed plants) | ||
| Class | Magnoliopsida (flowering plants) | ||
| Superorder | Asteranae | ||
Order |
Lamiales (mints, plantains, olives, and allies) | ||
Family |
Lamiaceae (mint) | ||
| Subfamily | Nepetoideae | ||
| Tribe | Mentheae | ||
Subtribe |
Prunellinae (cleonias, dragonmouths, and selfheals) | ||
| Genus | Prunella (selfheals) | ||
| Species | Prunella vulgaris (common selfheal) | ||
Synonyms |
|||
Prunella caroliniana Prunella vulgaris var. atropurpurea Prunella vulgaris var. calvescens Prunella vulgaris var. hispida Prunella vulgaris var. minor Prunella vulgaris var. nana Prunella vulgaris var. parviflora Prunella vulgaris var. rouleauiana Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris |
|||
Common Names |
|||
common all-heal common selfheal common self-heal healall lawn prunella self-heal selfheal |
|||
Glossary
Wing
A thin, flat, membranous, usually transparent appendage on the margin of a structure.
Visitor Photos |
|||||
Share your photo of this plant. |
|||||
| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
|||||
Luciearl |
|||||
Found in the tall grass of the ditch |
|||||
 |
|||||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
|||||
Plant |
|||||
 |
 |
||||
Inflorescence |
|||||
 |
 |
||||
Leaf |
|||||
 |
|||||
Slideshows |
||
Visitor Videos |
|||
Share your video of this plant. |
|||
| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
|||
Other Videos |
|||
Visitor Sightings |
|||||
Report a sighting of this plant. |
|||||
| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
|||||
| Luciearl 7/6/2022 |
Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County Found in the tall grass of the ditch |
 |
|||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
|||||
|
Created: Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |