104 
WILD FLOWERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES 
1. Cat-mint. (Nepeta Cataria. Linn.) — As just described. The flowers are small, 
hardly J inch long, white, with the lower lip spotted with pale red, and with a wavy margin, in 
many-flowered, dense clusters in the axils of the leaves (false whorls), those at the top of the stem 
crowded into a spike-like cluster; the stem is 1-3 feet high, grey with hairs, erect and branched; 
and the leaves are egg-shaped (ovate), heart-shaped (cordate) at the base, toothed (serrate), stalked, 
and whitish with soft down underneath. The whole plant is of a soft greyish-green, owing to the 
soft, hoary hairs with which it is covered, and has a strong aromatic odour, supposed to be pleasing 
to cats. [ Plate 36. 
Not common. On hedge banks, waysides, and waste places, especially on chalky soil; distributed 
throughout England, local in Scotland, and rare in Ireland. July — September. Perennial. 
2. Ground Ivy. (Nepeta heder&cea. Trev.) — A very well known early flowering plant, 
with purplish-blue flowers i-i inch long, in few-flowered clusters which are distant from one 
another ; the lower lip of the corolla is spotted with white and dark purple ; the stems are pro- 
cumbent, hairy, rooting at the base, with the flowering stems ascending, and the leaves are roundish 
(orbicular), scalloped (crenate), deeply heart-shaped (cordate) at the base, on long stalks. 
The plant has an aromatic odour and a bitter taste. It was once used in medicine and for brewing 
instead of hops. [Flat/ 36. 
Very common. Under hedges, in woods and shady places ; throughout England, Scotland, and 
Ireland. March— June. Perennial. 
XVI. SELF-HEAL. (PRUNELLA. Linn.) — Flowers in few-flowered clusters, crowded together 
in dense, terminal heads. Calyx of 5 sepals, united into a tube and separating into 2 lips (bi- 
labiate), the upper flat, square, with 3 short teeth, and the lower deeply 2-lobed, closing over the 
fruit, inserted below the seedcase (inferior) ; corolla of 5 petals, united into a tube and separating 
into 2 lips (bilabiate), the upper erect, arched, entire or slightly notched, the lower spreading and 
3-lobed, inserted below the seedcase (hypogynous) ; stamens 4, in unequal pairs (didynamous), 
included in the upper lip of the corolla, each pair of anthers approaching one another, inserted on 
the corolla-tube (epi-petalous) ; carpels 2, united into a 4-celled seedcase and a long style divided 
at the apex into 2 stigmas ; fruit of 4 little nuts (cocca). Herbs with square stems and entire or 
deeply divided opposite leaves, those in the axils of which are the flower-clusters being broad, 
bract-like, and usually coloured like the flowers (petaloid). 
Self-heal. (Prunel la vulg’dris. Linn.) — The only British species. As just described. 
The violet-blue flowers are £— § inch long, and are massed together in oval heads and 
have 2 broad heart-shaped, pointed, bract-like leaves tinged with purple below each small 
cluster ; the 2 calyx-lips ultimately close over the fruit ; the stems are 3-18 inches high, the side 
stems procumbent, rooting at the base ; and the leaves are stalked, egg-shaped (ovate), and nearly 
entire or toothed. In the Continental species the leaves are often deeply divided to the midrib 
(pinnatifid). [Plate 36. 
Very common. In meadows, fields, hedge banks, and waste ground ; throughout England, 
Scotland, and Ireland. July — September. Perennial. 
XVII. SKULL-CAP. (SCUTELLARIA. Linn.) — Flowers solitary or in pairs in the axil of each 
leaf. Calyx of 5 sepals, united into a tube and separating into 2 entire teeth (bilabiate), the 
upper of which bears a fold or scale-like protuberance on its back and closes like a lid over the 
fruit, inserted below the seedcase (inferior) ; corolla of 5 petals, united into a long tube and 
separating into 2 small lips, the upper arched, the lower 3-lobed, inserted below the seedcase 
