Betony |
Stachys officinalis |
Other names: Betonica officinalis, Stachys betonica
![]() Photo ©
Carl Farmer |
Rare in sheltered heathery ground (not upland) and woods Flower c 13-17 mm long. Plant typically 30 cm high. ID: Flowers uniform purple without markings, leaves with rounded teeth. Other features: Stem leaves few and spaced well apart. Basal leaves many and long-stalked. Stem has downwardly directed hairs. Flowers in terminal spike with leaf-like bracts, maybe also some flowers in axils of upper leaves. The narrow dark green leaves with their large rounded teeth and blunt ends are very distinctive once known. Flowers of typical Labiate form, the upper lip forming a hood and the lower having two short side lobes and a large broad middle lobe. |
![]() Photo ©
Carl Farmer |