Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_1085.JPG-07-11-2017
Flower name (scientific): Prunella vulgaris Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) proo-NELL-uh vul-GAIR-iss
Flower name (common): Common Selfheal
Family name (common): Mint
Family name (scientific): Lamiaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Possible alteration from the Germanic brunella, or the Dutch bruinelle. The German origin references a medical issue the plant was used to treat.
    Specific epithet: Latin for common.
Common name origin: From the numerous uses of the plant in traditional medicine and its supposed healing properties.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.2 to 0.6 inches (0.5 to 1.5 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: purple or white
     Other: flower arrangement, Spike
Plant description:
     Size: 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is opposite, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to 6 to 9 cm long and up to 2.5 to 4 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, broadly lanceolate or ovate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): June to October
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Prairies, meadows, fields, thickets, forest openings, woodland edges, streambanks, disturbed areas, roadsides, bluffs, sun or part shade, moist to dry.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes.
Ethnobotany: The Ojibwe used the root as an ingredient in a female remedy. They also prepared a tea from the root which they drunk to heighten their observational powers while hunting (Smith, pp. 372, 430, 1932).
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY)
In Canada: (AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT)
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: Prunella vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (The other infraspecifics are Prunella vulgaris subsp. asiatica (Nakai) H. Hara, Prunella vulgaris subsp. estremadurensis Franco, Prunella vulgaris subsp. hispida (Bentham) Hultén, Prunella vulgaris subsp. lanceolata (W. P. C. Barton) Piper & Beattie. Only the latter two subspecies have been recorded in North America.)