Prunella Vulgaris. Self-heal. 



PRUNELLA Lin. Gen. PL Didynamia Gymnospermia. 



Filament a bifurca: altero apice antherifero. Stigma bifidum, 



Raii Syto. Gen. 14. Suffrutices et Here^e verticillat^e. 



PRUNELLA vulgaris foliis omnibus ovato-oblongis ferratis petiolatis. Lin. Syfi. Vegetal, p. 458. 



Sp. PL 837. FL Suec. 540. 



BRUNELLA foliis ovatis oblongis calycibus fuperne truncatis. Holier. Hifi. n. 277. 



BRUNELLA vulgaris. Scopoli FL Cam. 715. 



PRUNELLA major folio non difTedto. Bauh. pin. 260. 



PRUNELLA Gerard, emac. 631. 



PRUNELLA vulgaris. Parkin/. 1680. Raii Syn. p. 238. Common Self-heal. Hud/on. FL Angh 

 ed. 2. p. 264. Light/oot Flor. Scot, p. 32 1. 



RADIX annua, fibrofiffima. % ROOT annual, and exceedingly fibrous. 



CAULIS dodrantalis, pedalis et ultra, eredtus, ad bafin I STALK from halt a foot, to a foot or more in height, 



ufque ramoius, geniculates, geniculis inferiori- % upright, branched quite down to the botteni,' 



bus radicantibus, fubquadratus, utrmque canali- | jointed, the lowermoft joints fending down 



culatus, hirfutus, purpurafcens. roots, fomewhat iquare, with a deep groove on 



I each fide, rough and purplifh. 



RAMI cauli fimiles, adfcendentes, alterne oppofiti, infe- | BRANCHES like the ftalk, bending upward alternately 



rioribus longioribus. | oppofite, the lower ones longett. 



FOLIA oppofita, petioiata, ovata, plana, patentia, punftis | LEAVES oppofite, Handing on footftalks, ovate, flat, 

 prominulis fcabriufcula, obfolete dentata po-¥ Spreading, rough with little prominent points) 



tius quam ferrata. | faintly indented on the edge, rather than 



% fa wed. 



PETIOLI fuperne canalicular, marginibus hirfutis. | LEAF-STALKS hollow above, and hairy on the ed^es. 



SPICiE terminales, feffiles, fubcylindricae, pollicares, ^SPIKES terminal, leffil'e, fomewhat cylindrical, about an 



truncate, e fioribus verticillatis breviter pedi- 1 inch in length, as if cut offat top, compofed of 



cellatis et bractseis conftantes. | floral leaves and flowers ftanding on ihort ioot- 



% ftalks. 



BRACTE^: cordata?, latae, acuminata?, fubdiaphanae, | FLORAL-LEAVES heartfhaped, broad and pointed 

 venofas, ciliatse, fubtus hirfutae, fupra glabrae. * fomewhat tranfparent, veiny, edged with hairs' 



I hirfute on the under fide, imootli and Alining 



y above. 



VERTICILLI fexflori. | WHIRLS fix flowers in each. 



CALYX: Perianthium tubulatum, bra&seis paulof CALYX: a tubular Perianthium, fomewhat lono-er 

 longius, biangulatum, fupra glabrum, triner- 1 than the floral-leaves, angular on' each ride, 



veum, fubtus ftriatum, angulis ciliatis, bilabia- 1 fmooth above, with three faint ribs, fhiated be- 



tum; labio ^ fuperiore depreffo-plano, truncate,? low, the angles edged with hairs, compofed of 



crenato, minutim tridentato, Jatenbus planis, f two lips, the uppermoft of which is flat, and 



inferiore anguftiore, bifido, laciniis acummatis.J fomewhat depreffed, cut offat top, terminated 



fig' l ' I by three fmall teeth, the fides flat, the lower 



J lip narrower, bifid, the fegments long and 



¥ pointed, fig. 1. 



COROLLA violacea, caduca, monopetala, ringens, pars | COROLLA of a violet colour, eafily falling, monopeta- 



tubulofa calyce paulo longior, labium luperius | Jous and ringent, the tubular part a little Longer 



concavum, integrum, fuperne villofum, infe- | than the calyx, the upper lip hollow, entire 



rius trifidum, laciniis lateralibus integris, de- | and villous above, the lower lip divided into 



flexis, intermedia erecta, rotundata, deuticulata. % three fegments, of which the fide-ones are 



fig' 2 ' I entire and bend downward, the middle one up- 



I right, round, and finely toothed, fig. 2. 



STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, fubulata, violacea, | STAMINA : four Filaments, tapering, of a violet co- 



bifurca, quorum duo breviora ; Anthers bi- | lour, forked at top, of which two are longer 



lobae, lobis divergentibus, furca interiore infi- | than the others ; Anthers compoied of two 



dentes. fig. 3. ^ lobet, which diverge and fit on the inner fork. 



* fig- 3- 



PISTILLUM: Germen quadripartitum, glandula ere- |PISTILLUlV1: Gehmen divided into four parts, fur- 

 nata cinctum ; Stylus filiformis, longitu-f rounded by a notched gland ; Style filiform 



dine ft aminum j Stigma bifidum, acutum. | the length of the ftamina ; Stigma bifid and 



fig. 4, 5, 6, 7. t pointed, fig. 4, r, 6, 7. 



SEM1NA quatuor, ovata, parva, obtufe angulata, glabra, | SEEDS four, ovate, fmall, obtufely angular, fmooth, 

 fuica, mucrone albo terminata. fig. 8. | brown, and terminated by a white point, fig. 8.' 



In many of the natural claffes of plants, the feveral genera approximate fo much, that it is difficult to find out a 

 character which mail obvioufly diftinguifh them; fuch a character is however afforded in theprefenr plant. If the 

 filaments are examined, each of them will be found forked at the extremity, and the anthera fuftained on the inner- 

 molt divifion of the fork ; beiides this curious and uncommon ftructure, the middle fegment of the lower lip is finely 

 toothed. Tnis is noticed by Tournefort in his figures of this genus, but the former wholly omitted. It did 

 not however efcape the penetrating Linnaeus, who coniiders it as the eflential character of the Prunella; nor is the 

 calyx in this plant undeferving of our attention, whether we conlider its ftructure, or the fingular manner in which 

 it clofes up to preferve the feeds. 



The Self- heal has an herbaceous roughifli tafte, and hence ftands recommended in alvine fluxes; it has been 

 principally celebrated as a vulnerary, whence its name, and in gargarifms for apthae, and inflammations ot the 

 fauces. Lewises Difp. p. 205. 



It grows very commonly in meadows and paftnres, and flowers in June and July. Its bloffoms, which are ufually 

 of a violet colour, are fometimes found white, and fometimes red. 



According to LixftUBVs's experiments, kine, goats, andfheep, eat it ; but horfes refufe it. 



