Prunella vulgaris All heal Selfheal Fruit-spike.immune stimulant and anti-inflammatory effects.

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Plant Description of Prunella in General.

Selfheal Fruit-spike Extract INCI Name Prunella Vulgaris Extract CAS 90105-92-3 EINECS ELINCS No 290-211-6 Spica Prunellae Prunella spike Xiakucao fruit-spike of Prunella vulgaris L photo picture image Physical Characteristics:

 Perennial growing to 0.15m by 0.3m. Prunella is a genus of seven species of herbaceous plants in the family Lamiaceae, also known as self-heals or "allheal" for their use in herbal medicine. Most are native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but Prunella vulgaris (the Common Self-heal) is Holarctic in distribution, occurring in North America as well, and is a common lawn weed.

 Clavate, somewhat flattened, 1.5~8 cm long, 0.8~1.5 cm in diameter. Pale brown to brownish-red. The whole spike composed of up to ten or more whorls of persistent calyx and bracts, each whorl with two opposite bracts, fan-shaped, apex acuminate, striations of vein distinct, the outer surface with white hairs. Each bract with three flowers, the corolla often fallen off, persistent calyx bilabiate, with four small brown ovoid nutlets, with white convex at the acute end. Texture light. Odour, slight; taste, weak.

 Fibrous-rooted perennial from a root crown or short rhizome. Stems solitary or clustered, erect to creeping and ascending, 4-sided, 1-5 dm long, loosely softly long-hairy in lines or nearly throughout, or practically hairless.It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.

 The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

 Self-heals are low-growing plants, and thrive in moist wasteland and grass, spreading rapidly to cover the ground. They are members of the mint family and have the square stem common to mints.

 Field Marks: Distinguishing features of this species are the crowded spikes consisting of many flowers subtended by many overlapping bracts.

 Habitat: Low woods, along streams, around ponds and lakes, in roadside ditches, wet prairies, as well as in drier habitats.

 Stems: Spreading to erect, 4-sided, hairy, up to 2 feet tall.Height 4-12 inches
 Selfheal Fruit-spike Extract INCI Name Prunella Vulgaris Extract CAS 90105-92-3 EINECS ELINCS No 290-211-6 Spica Prunellae Prunella spike Xiakucao fruit-spike of Prunella vulgaris L photo picture image

 Leaves:Few, stalked, softly long-hairy beneath, basal and opposite on stem or basal lacking, entire or obscurely toothed, with lanceolate or elliptic to broadly ovate blade, 2-9 cm long and 0.7-4 cm wide, the lower ones usually broader and with a more rounded base than the upper.

 Leaves: Opposite, simple, lanceolate to elliptic to narrowly ovate, rounded or pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, with or without teeth, usually hairy, up to 3 1/2 inches long, up to 1 1/2 inches broad; leaf stalks present.

 Flowers:Several crowded into cylindrical spikes; each flower 1/2 to 1 inch long, subtended by a ciliate bract.Tubular, blue-violet or occasionally pink or white, 1-2 cm long, with a hooded upper lip and a 3-lobed lower lip. Several flowers in short, dense spikes, 2-5 cm long, about 1.5-2 cm thick, the short-pointed bracts about 1 cm long, hairy on edges. Calyx 7-10 mm long, green or purple, with 3 shallow lobes on upper lip and 2 deeper lobes on lower lip, all lobes bristle-tipped.

 Flowering: May-September.Flower size: 1/2 inch long, in clusters 1-2 inches high.Flower color: purple.
 Sepals: 2-lipped, green or purple, hairy; the upper lip 3-toothed; the lower lip 2-lobed.
 Petals: 2-lipped, purple or white, up to 1 inch long; the upper lip unlobed; the lower lip 2-lobed.
 Stamens: 4, curved under the upper lip of the corolla.
 Pistils: Ovary superior, 4-parted; stigmas 2-cleft.
 Fruits: Nutlets 4, dark brown, ribbed, shiny, about 1/10 inch long.
 Notes: This plant is also known as heal-all.
 Selfheal Fruit-spike Extract INCI Name Prunella Vulgaris Extract CAS 90105-92-3 EINECS ELINCS No 290-211-6 Spica Prunellae Prunella spike Xiakucao fruit-spike of Prunella vulgaris L photo picture image

 How to Grow Prunella Vulgaris:

 Prunella Vulgaris thrives in any damp soil in full sun or in light shade. It will grow thicker in a part shade environment. Prunella vulgaris is a good plant for growing in the spring meadow. Sow seed in very early spring in a flat outdoors, or give a short cold and moist conditioning treatment before sowing in a warm place. As Prunella Vulgaris is related to the mint family, it transplants and spreads easily. Some not so enlightened people might consider it a weed.

 This perennial is hard to temperatures as low as -20 F (-29 degrees C) and occurs naturally throughout Europe and adjacent Eurasia. It has quickly become naturalized to North America and Australia as well. It is an attractive, low-growing plant that spreads out well and will colonize an area with its creeping root stocks and by seed as well. It will grow as high as 12 inches tall when it flowers with violet blossoms in the summer. Self-heal flowers form in dense clusters at stem ends, each with a two lipped arrangement with its upper petal resembling a hood.

 Grows well in average to good soil where plants will get full sun to partial shade. Routine watering will result in best growth, but when somewhat neglected, it grows good as well. New sprouted plants can be transplanted in early spring. Will allow propagating from cuttings, but using root segments removed from established clumps is the easiest method.

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citations1.Prunella vulgaris All heal Selfheal Fruit-spike.immune stimulant and anti-inflammatory effects.

last edit date:31th,May.2009.