Ballota nigra | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Ballota |
Species: | B. nigra |
Binomial name | |
Ballota nigra | |
Range of Ballota nigra | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Ballota nigra, black horehound, is a perennial herb of the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and to central Asia and it can be found throughout Europe. It is also naturalized in Argentina, New Zealand, and the Eastern United States. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] It blooms in the Northern Hemisphere from May to August.
Ballota nigra has a very strong characteristic smell reminiscent of mold or humidity, and can be recognized by its clusters of hairy, reddish-purple flowers. It can grow up to 3 feet in height.
It has herbaceous ascending stems, wooden and branched at bottom, covered by down folded hairs. The plant has a taproot system.
Leaves are opposite and decussate, and range from oval-lanceolate to heart-shaped, with crenate or dentate border. Leaves, dark green and usually pubescent, measure 3–8 cm per 2–6 cm, and have 1–3 cm petiole. Upper face is wrinkled, with a net-like vein pattern.
Flowers are organized in verticillasters, subspherical to about one-sided, with 15 to 30 flowers. Each verticillaster consist of two condensed dichasial cymes at axils of normal leaves.
Flower has an actinomorphic calyx (length 9–10 mm, width 7 mm), made up by five sepals fused together in a tube with five teeths; and a labiate corolla of 12–13 mm, ranging from pink to pale purple to withish. The corolla consist of a tube of about 6 mm and two lips; the upper one slightly concave (like a hood) and externally hairy; the lower one glabrous, with two minor lateral lobes and a major central bifid lobe. There are four didynamous stamens, running parallel under the upper lip, with glabrous filaments and yellow anthers. Ovary is superior, with a single white style and a 2-parted stigma.
Below the calyx there are five filiform bracts, 8 mm long.
Each fertilized flower produces a tetrad of black nutlets, cylindrical to ovoid, 2 mm long, partially or fully covered by the calyx. The basal end is flat and attached to the receptacle, while the top end is rounded or pointed.
Ballota nigra contains diterpenoids like marrubiin, ballonigrin, ballotinone, ballotenol and 7-acetoxymarrubiin. Also, it contains phenylpropanoids.[ citation needed ]
The plant was described by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (May 1753). The name Ballota comes from the Greek ballo (to reject), because of the strong offensive odor of the plant; cattle will not eat it. The specific name nigra could refer to the black colour of dried leaves.
The common name comes from the Old English words har, meaning "downy or hoary", and hune, meaning the plant itself. This name refers to the hairs that give the herb its distinctive appearance. In modern times, alternative medicine practitioners have referred to the plant as "seed of Horus" [6] and suggested that horehound takes its name from Horus, the Egyptian sun god.
Ballota nigra is a nitrophilous plant; it grows in ruins, fallows, and hedges at elevations up to 1300 m. It prefers loose, calcareous (alkaline) soils. It tolerates temperatures as low as -5°/-10 °C.
Usually the plant is used dry and harvested when blooming. Syrups can be made from fresh plants.
Recognized subspecies: [1]
Marrubium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia as far east as the Xinjiang region of western China. A few species are also naturalized in North and South America.
Lycopus europaeus, common names gypsywort, gipsywort, bugleweed, European bugleweed and water horehound, is a perennial plant in the genus Lycopus, native to Europe and Asia, and naturalized elsewhere. Another species, Lycopus americanus has also been erroneously called L. europaeus.
Ballota (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in South Africa, Central Asia, northern Europe, and the islands of the eastern North Atlantic. It is found in rocky and waste ground.
Stachys byzantina, the lamb's-ear or woolly hedgenettle, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. It is cultivated throughout much of the temperate world as an ornamental plant, and is naturalised in some locations as an escapee from gardens. Plants are very often found under the synonym Stachys lanata or Stachys olympica.
Stemodia durantifolia is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family commonly known as the whitewoolly twintip and purple stemodia. Stemodia durantifolia is native to the Americas, including Chile, Mexico, Texas, and the deserts of California and Arizona, and is often found in riparian habitats, preferring wet sand and rocks. It is a perennial herb producing a hairy, glandular, erect stem 10–100 cm (3.9–39.4 in) tall, with the toothed lance-shaped leaves found in pairs or triplets, attached to the stem with clasping bases. The inflorescence is a raceme of violet flowers, with each corolla held in a calyx of hairy, pointed sepals, and can often be found in bloom year-round. Although globally at low risk of extinction, Stemodia durantifolia is imperiled in California due to its rarity and threats from development.
Solanum villosum, the hairy nightshade, red nightshade or woolly nightshade, is a sprawling annual weed in Europe, western Asia, northern Africa and is also naturalized in Australia and North America.
Leucas aspera is a plant species within the genus Leucas and the family Lamiaceae. Although the species has many different common names depending on the region in which it is located, it is most commonly known as Thumbai or Thumba. Found throughout India, it is known for its various uses in the fields of medicine and agriculture.
Astrantia major, the great masterwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to central and eastern Europe. Growing up to 90 cm (35 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) broad, it is an herbaceous perennial, much used in gardens.
Pseudodictamnus undulatus, commonly known as common ballota or horehound, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region including Egypt, Israel and Jordan. It is a compact, evergreen subshrub with a woody base, many hairy wiry stems, simple opposite leaves with toothed margins, and whorls of white flowers with funnel-shaped calyxes.
Diplacus puniceus, commonly known as the red bush monkeyflower, San Diego monkey flower, or mission diplacus, is a species of perennial shrub native to coastal southern California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by a relatively small and broad corolla for Diplacus, a lack of glandular hairs, and dark orange or red flowers, adapted to hummingbird pollinators.
Veronica catenata, the pink water speedwell, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is native to Canada, the United States, Europe, the Azores, and northern Africa. As its common name implies, it prefers growing in or near marshes, rivers, lakes and ponds.
Eriodictyon sessilifolium, known by the common names Baja California yerba santa, sessile-leaved yerba santa or sessileleaf yerba santa is a perennial shrub in the Boraginaceae family, near-endemic to Baja California but also rarely found in the southern California, in a locality near Poway.
Ourisia simpsonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to high-elevation habitats in the South Island of New Zealand. Mary Kalin Arroyo elevated O. simpsonii to species rank in 1984. Plants of this species of New Zealand mountain foxglove are perennial, small-leaved herbs that are covered in a mixture of long glandular and non-glandular hairs. They have hairy, crenate, ovate leaves that are in a basal rosette. The flowers are single or in pairs in each node, with a zygomorphic calyx and corolla. The corolla is white and the corolla tube is yellow and glabrous inside, and purple outside. It is listed as Not Threatened.
Ourisia sessilifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to high-elevation habitats in the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described O. sessilifolia in 1864. Plants of this species of New Zealand mountain foxglove are perennial, small-leaved, rosette herbs that are covered in a mixture of short glandular hairs and long non-glandular hairs. They have hairy, crenate, ovate leaves that are in a basal rosette. The flowers are in pairs or whorls in each node, with a and regular calyx and a white regular corolla. The corolla tube is purple inside, with one or three lines of white hairs inside, and purple outside. It is listed as Not Threatened.
Ourisia sessilifolia subsp. sessilifolia is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to high-elevation habitats in the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described O. sessilifolia in 1864. Plants of this subspecies of New Zealand mountain foxglove are perennial, small-leaved, rosette herbs that are covered in a mixture of short glandular hairs and long non-glandular hairs. They have hairy, crenate, ovate leaves that are in a basal rosette. The flowers are in pairs or whorls in each node, with a and regular calyx and a white regular corolla. The corolla tube is purple inside, with three lines of white hairs inside, and purple outside. It is listed as Not Threatened.
Ourisia sessilifolia subsp. splendida is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to high-elevation habitats in the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described O. sessilifolia in 1864. Plants of this subspecies of New Zealand mountain foxglove are perennial, small-leaved, rosette herbs that are covered in a mixture of short glandular hairs and long non-glandular hairs. They have hairy, crenate, ovate leaves that are in a basal rosette. The flowers are in pairs or whorls in each node, with a and regular calyx and a white regular corolla. The corolla tube is purple inside, with one line of white hairs inside, and purple outside. It is listed as Not Threatened.
Ourisia calycina is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand and was described by William Colenso in 1889. Plants of this species are showy, perennial, large-leaved, tufted, rhizomatous herbs that are mostly glabrous (hairless) or with some non-glandular hairs. They have broadly ovate leaves. The flowers are in whorls in each node, with a regular calyx, a large, white irregular corolla, and fruits up to 1 cm long. The corolla tube is yellow with three lines of yellow hairs inside. It is listed as Not Threatened.
Ourisia macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to New Zealand. William Jackson Hooker described O. macrophylla in 1843. Plants of this species of New Zealand foxglove are showy, perennial, large-leaved, tufted, rhizomatous herbs that are often glabrous (hairless) or sometimes hairy with non-glandular or glandular hairs. They have crenate, ovate to heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are in whorls in each node, with a regular calyx, and a large, white irregular corolla. The corolla tube is yellow with three lines of yellow hairs inside. It is found in montane to subalpine habitats and is listed as Not Threatened.
Ourisia macrophylla subsp. macrophylla is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. William Jackson Hooker described O. macrophylla in 1843. Plants of this subspecies of New Zealand foxglove are showy, perennial, large-leaved, tufted, rhizomatous herbs that are often glabrous (hairless) or sometimes hairy with non-glandular or glandular hairs. They have crenate, ovate to heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are in whorls in each node, with a regular calyx, and a large, white irregular corolla. The calyx and floral bracts lack glandular hairs. The corolla tube is yellow with three lines of yellow hairs inside. It is found in montane to subalpine habitats and is listed as Not Threatened.
Ourisia macrophyllasubsp.lactea is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Lucy Moore described O. macrophylla var. lactea in 1961, and Heidi Meudt changed the rank to subspecies in 2006. Plants of this subspecies of New Zealand foxglove are showy, perennial, large-leaved, tufted, rhizomatous herbs that are often hairy with non-glandular or glandular hairs. They have crenate, ovate to heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are in whorls in each node, with a regular calyx, and a large, white irregular corolla. The calyx and floral bracts have glandular hairs. The corolla tube is yellow with three lines of yellow hairs inside. It is found in montane to subalpine habitats and is listed as Not Threatened.