Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris

Native

Disturbed sites.

June to October

Purple to violet-blue

4″ to 20″

This 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 are½ 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.

Lance selfheal (Prunella vulgaris var. 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.