Prunella vulgaris

"Notes: Western Ghats, Evergreen Forests"

This short perennial plant is about ½–1' tall and unbranched. Different varieties have been described, some of which are believed to be native, including this one. The native varieties are said to be taller and more erect, with leaves that are lanceolate or wedge-shaped at the base. The plant that is considered here has an erect central stem. This stem has white hairs along its four angular ridges. The opposite leaves are up to 2" long and ¾" across. They are broadly lanceolate or ovate, with short petioles, and have scattered white hairs along the central vein on their undersides. Their margins may be smooth, or have scattered blunt teeth. The stem terminates in a short spike of flowers. Each tubular flower is about ½" long and divided into 2 lips. The upper lip is light purple and functions as a hood, while the lower lip is white and fringed. The lower lip also has two lateral lobes that are smaller and light purple. The calyx is light green or reddish and quite hairy along the edges. There is no noticeable floral scent. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late summer and lasts about a month. Each flower produces 4 tiny brown, angular, finely ridged seeds, which are enclosed in the persistent calyx. Interestingly, the seeds may be distributed by raindrop ballistics – when a raindrop strikes the ridged calyx tube, this causes it to bend and rebound, flinging the seeds. The root system consists of a short central taproot.

This little plant is frequently more attractive in the wild than in developed areas, where it is frequently attacked by the lawn mower, yard trimmer, herbicides, and other instruments of destruction. Another common name for this plant is 'All-Heal.' Some botanists refer to the native variety as Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata. Return

Stems 20-30 cm, ascending, base much branched, purple-red, sparsely strigose or subglabrous. Petiole 0.7-2.5 cm, upper ones shorter; leaf blade ovate-oblong to ovate, 1.5-6 cm long, 0.7-2.5 cm wide, glabrous to sparsely villous, base truncate to broadly cuneate-decurrent, margin inconspicuously undulate to subentire, adaxially hirtellous or subglabrous, abaxially subglabrous, apex obtuse to rounded. Spikes 2-4 cm, sessile; floral leaves similar to cauline leaves, sessile or short petiolate, subovate; bracts purplish, broadly cordate, ca. 7 mm long, 11 mm wide, cuspidate, veins sparsely hispid. Calyx campanulate, ca. 1 cm, sparsely hispid, tube ca. 4 mm; upper lip suboblate, subtruncate; lower lip narrower, teeth acuminate. Corolla purplish or white, ca. 1.3 cm, slightly exserted, glabrous; tube ca. 7 mm, base ca. 1.5 mm wide, gradually dilated to ca. 4 mm wide at throat; upper lip subcircular, ca. 5.5 mm in diameter, ± galeate, emarginate; lower lip ca. 1/2 as long as upper lip, middle lobe subobcordate, fringed; lateral lobes oblong, spreading, minute. Anterior stamens very long. Nutlets oblong-ovoid, ca. 1.8 mm long, 0.9 mm wide, slightly 1-furrowed.

"Kerala: Malapuram, Palakkad Tamil Nadu: Dindigul, Nilgiri"

"

Global Distribution

America, Europe, North temperate zone of Indian subcontinent, Australia and Sri Lanka

Indian distribution

State - Kerala, District/s: Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki

"

Self-Heal occurs in every county of Illinois and is very common (see Distribution Map). It favors sites with a history of disturbance. Habitats include moist to mesic black soil prairies, moist meadows along rivers and lakes, thickets, openings in forests, woodland borders, pastures, and abandoned fields. The variety of Self-Heal that is commonly observed in lawns is thought to be a Eurasian variety, which is shorter and roots at the nodes of the leaves.

Prunella vulgaris L.:
Argentina (South America)
Bolivia (South America)
Brazil (South America)
Bhutan (Asia)
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Colombia (South America)
Costa Rica (Mesoamerica)
Ecuador (South America)
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
India (Asia)
Japan (Asia)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
Nepal (Asia)
New Zealand (Oceania)
Pakistan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
South Korea (Asia)
Tajikistan (Asia)
Turkmenistan (Asia)
United States (North America)
Uzbekistan (Asia)
Caribbean (Caribbean)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
China (Asia)
Venezuela (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; Africa, SW Asia, Europe, North America]

Prunella vulgaris is occurring in Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang of China, Bhutan, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; Africa, SW Asia, Europe, North America.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Throughout Europe and temperate Asia.

1200-3800 m

Stems 20-30 cm, ascending, base much branched, purple-red, sparsely strigose or subglabrous. Petiole 0.7-2.5 cm, upper ones shorter; leaf blade lanceolate to ovate, 1.5-6 × 0.6-2.5 cm, glabrous to sparsely villous, base truncate to broadly cuneate-decurrent, margin undulate to entire, apex obtuse to rounded. Spikes 2-4 cm, sessile; floral leaves similar to cauline leaves, sessile or short petiolate, subovate; bracts purplish, broadly cordate, ca. 7 × 11 mm, cuspidate, veins sparsely hispid. Calyx campanulate, ca. 1 cm, sparsely hispid, tube ca. 4 mm; upper lip suboblate, subtruncate; lower lip narrower, teeth acuminate. Corolla purplish or white, ca. 1.3 cm, slightly exserted, glabrous; tube ca. 7 mm, base ca. 1.5 mm wide, gradually dilated to ca. 4 mm wide at throat; upper lip subcircular, ca. 5.5 mm in diam., ± galeate, emarginate; lower lip ca. 1/2 as long as upper lip, middle lobe subobcordate, fringed; lateral lobes oblong, spreading, minute. Anterior stamens very long. Nutlets oblong-ovoid, ca. 1.8 × 0.9 mm, slightly 1-furrowed. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Jul-Oct.

"Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; branchlets ascending, to 30 cm, often purplish, hispid. Leaves narrow-to ovate-oblong, to 5 x 2.5 cm, base cuneate, margin subentire, apex obtuse, pilose; petiole to 2 cm. Spikes terminal, verticillate, to 3 x 2.5 cm(elongating to 5 cm in fruit), with flowers in whorls of 6; floral bracts leafy, ovate, to 6 x 4 mm, margin ciliate, purplish. Calyx-tube straight, 5-10-nerved, 4 mm, dotted with sessile glands without, limb 2-lipped, 3+2, upper one broad, lower ones lanceolate. Corolla violet, ascending; tube 6 mm, limb 2-lipped, 2 + 3; upper one cucullate, lower one spreading, 3-lobed, with dentate median lobe, and oblong side lobes deflexed. Stamens 4, didynamous, exserted; filaments 2-fid, lower one anther-bearing; anthers connivent, 2-celled. Disk erect. Ovary 4-celled on a gynophore. Nutlets 4, oblong, smooth."

Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris is close relative of Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata, but differs from the latter in its leaves ovate-oblong to ovate (vs. lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate), 1.5-6 cm long, 0.7-2.5 cm wide (vs. 1.5-4 cm long, 0.6-1 cm wide), inconspicuously undulate to subentire (vs. entire), adaxially hirtellous or subglabrous, abaxially subglabrous (vs. glabrous or sparsely villous).

Self-Heal occurs in every county of Illinois and is very common (see Distribution Map). It favors sites with a history of disturbance. Habitats include moist to mesic black soil prairies, moist meadows along rivers and lakes, thickets, openings in forests, woodland borders, pastures, and abandoned fields. The variety of Self-Heal that is commonly observed in lawns is thought to be a Eurasian variety, which is shorter and roots at the nodes of the leaves.

Open slopes, grasslands, wet streamsides, forest margins, thickets; 0-3200 m.

Growing in open slopes, grasslands, wet streamsides; 100-3000 m.

The flowers are visited by long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, small butterflies (primarily Whites and Sulfurs), and skippers. Bee visitors include bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, Little Carpenter bees, Eucerine Miner bees, and Green Metallic bees. These insects seek nectar, although the Green Metallic Bees also collect pollen. The caterpillars of the moth Agriopodes teratophora (Gray Marvel) occasionally feed on the foliage. Self-Heal has a bitter taste and is not favored by mammalian herbivores as a source of food. However, livestock may eat this plant along with the grass.

Prunella vulgaris (Self-Heal)
(Also called All-Heal; insects suck nectar primarily, although a bumblebee also collects pollen; most observations are from Robertson, otherwise they are from Lewis, Macior, and Costelloe as indicated below)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus griseocallis sn, Bombus impatiens fq sn cp, Bombus pensylvanica sn fq, Bombus vagans sn fq (Rb, Mc, Cst); Anthophoridae (Anthophorini): Anthophora terminalis sn; Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina dupla dupla sn; Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Melissodes bimaculata bimaculata sn, Melissodes comptoides sn; Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile mendica sn

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Augochlorella striata sn, Halictus confusus sn; Andrenidae (Panurginae): Calliopsis andreniformis sn

Wasps
Scoliidae: Scolia bicincta sn

Flies
Bombyliidae: Exoprosopa fasciata sn; Tachinidae: Archytas aterrima sn

Butterflies
Pieridae: Colias philodice sn, Pieris rapae sn (Rb, Lw), Pontia protodice sn

Skippers
Hesperiidae: Anatrytone logan sn, Ancyloxypha numitor sn, Polites peckius sn, Polites themistocles sn, Staphylus hayhurstii sn

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Apion cineraceum feeds on root? of Prunella vulgaris

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / saprobe
perithecium of Diaporthe desmazieri is saprobic on dead, blackened stem of Prunella vulgaris
Remarks: season: 5

Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe biocellata parasitises live Prunella vulgaris

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Meligethes umbrosus feeds on Prunella vulgaris

Foodplant / spot causer
hypophyllous aecium of Puccinia moliniae causes spots on live leaf of Prunella vulgaris
Remarks: season: 6-7

Foodplant / spot causer
numerous, immersed pycnidium of Septoria coelomycetous anamorph of Septoria prunellae causes spots on live leaf of Prunella vulgaris
Remarks: season: 8-10

Flowering from April to June; fruiting from July to October.

The chromosomal number of Prunella vulgaris is 2n = 28 (Gill, 1981, 1983).

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 12
Specimens with Barcodes: 19
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

The preference is full or partial sun, and moist to mesic conditions. Some drought is tolerated, although the plant will respond by dropping its lower leaves and turning greenish yellow. Growth is best in rich loamy soil with high organic content, although other kinds of soil are tolerated. This plant is easy to grow, and can become rather weedy and aggressive.

Prunella vulgaris are used as medicinally.