Prunella vulgaris, the common self-heal, heal-all, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth, carpenter's herb, brownwort or blue curls,[4][5][6][7] is a herbaceousplant in the mint family Lamiaceae.
Prunella vulgaris grows 5–30cm (2.0–11.8in) high,[8] with creeping, self-rooting, tough, square, reddish stems branching at the leaf axes.[9]
The leaves are lance-shaped, serrated and reddish at the tip, about 2.5cm (0.98in) long and 1.5cm (0.59in) broad, and growing in opposite pairs down the square stem.[9] Each leaf has 3-7 veins that shoot off the middle vein to the margin. The stalks of the leaves are generally short, but can be up to 5cm (2.0in) long.[10]
The flowers grow from a clublike, somewhat square, whirled cluster; immediately below this club is a pair of stalkless leaves standing out on either side like a collar. The flowers are two-lipped and tubular. The top lip is a purple hood, and the bottom lip is often white; it has three lobes, with the middle lobe being larger and fringed upwardly. Flowers bloom at different times depending on climate and other conditions, but mostly in summer (from June to August in the USA).[9]
Self-heal propagates both by seed and vegetatively by creeping stems that root at the nodes.[11]
Two subspecies of Prunella vulgaris have been identified: var. vulgaris and var. lanceolata.[12][13]
Prunella vulgaris is a perennial herb native in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, and is common in most temperate climates.[4]
Prunella vulgaris can spread aggressively through creeping stems and roots, forming dense mats that can displace other plants. Because of its ability to outcompete other desirable vegetation, it can become weedy in lawns and damp shady locations.[15][16]Prunella vulgaris is listed in Weeds of the Northeast and Weeds of the Great Plains.[16] It was introduced to many countries in the 1800s and has become invasive in the Pacific Islands, including Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.[4][17] In Ireland, it is generally abundant.[18][19] This herb also grows in Kashmir where it is known as kalyuth. It is boiled in water, which is used to wash and bathe in order to relieve muscle pain.[20]
It grows on roadsides, gardens, waste-places,[18] and woodland edges, and usually in basic and neutral soils.[9][21]
The conspicuous flowers are a favorite of bumblebees and butterflies.[16]Prunella vulgaris is a host species for the larvae of the Clouded sulphur butterfly, Colias philodice.[15]
Uses
P. vulgaris var lanceolata
Prunella vulgaris is edible.[4] The young leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salads; the plant as a whole can be boiled and eaten as a leaf vegetable; and the aerial parts of the plant can be powdered and brewed in a cold infusion to make a beverage.[4][22][23]
This plant was used as a traditional medicine by the indigenous peoples of North America.[24] The Quileute, Quinault, and Coast Salish in the Pacific Northwest extracted juice from the plant which was used as a topical treatment for boils. The Nuxalk boiled the entire plant to make a weak tea. The Nlaka'pamux drink a cold infusion of the whole plant as a common beverage.[25]
Prunella is derived from 'Brunella', a word which is itself a derivative, taken from "die Bräune", the German name for diphtheria, which Prunella was historically used to cure.[30]Vulgaris means 'usual', 'common', or 'vulgar'.[30]
Self-heal and heal-all refer to its uses in traditional medicine.
↑ Šegota, Vedran; Alegro, Antun; Rimac, Anja; Šoštarić, Renata; Sedlar, Zorana; Borovečki-Voska, Ljiljana; Salkić, Behija (2015-03-03). "Nova nalazišta hibrida roda Prunella L. u Hrvatskoj"[New Find Sites of Hybrids of the Genus Prunella L. in Croatia]. Glasnik Hrvatskog botaničkog društva (in Croatian). 3 (1): 4–6. eISSN1848-8102.
↑ Foster, Steven; Hobbs, Christopher (2002). "Self-heal, Heal-All". A Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p.231. ISBN978-0-395-83806-8.
↑ Harford, Robin (2019-08-23). "Selfheal". EATWEEDS. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
↑ Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p.172. ISBN978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC1073035766.
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