XVII. 



BETONICA OFFICINALIS. 



Wood Betony. 



Class XIV. Djdynamia.— Orc?e;- I. Gymnospermia. 



Nat. Ord. Labiat^e. 



Gen. Char. Calyx ovate, ten-ribbed ; teeth equal, awned. 

 Corolla with the tube exserted, cylindrical ; upper lip 

 ascending, plane ; lower lip patent, trifid, its middle 

 lobe entire, or nearly so. 



Spec. Char, Spike interrupted. Middle lobe of the 

 lower lip of the corolla emarginate. Leaves cordate- 

 oblong, crenate. 



SYNONYMES. 



Greek xsirrgov i]/uxor^oipov ; jitrayixti. 



r Betonica purpurea. Bauh. Fin. 235. 

 Latin \ Betonica. Ger. Em. 714. Rati Syn. 238. 



V- Betonica officinalis. Lin. Sp. PI. 810. 



French Betoine. 



Italian .... Bettonica. 



Spanish ami I 



y. . ( Betonica. 



Portuguese ' 



German.... Betonik ; Betonie; Zehrkraut. 



Dutch .... Betonie ; Betony. 



Polish ... . Bukwika. 



Description. — The root is perennial, woody, twisted, brown- 

 ish, and furnished with long white fibres. The stem is simple, 

 upright, quadrangular, rough with deflexed hairs, and rises 

 about a foot and a half in height. The lower leaves are cordate- 

 oblong, and furnished with long footstalks. The upper ones are 

 opposite, oblong, and nearly sessile ; the whole of a deep green 

 colour, obtuse and crenate. The flowers are disposed in ter- 

 minal oblong spikes, rather short and interrupted, with two 



