Subfamily

VII. Subfam. Nepetoideae (Dumort.) Luerss. (1882).

VII. 2. Tribe Mentheae Dumort. (1827).

VII. 2. B. Subtribe Menthinae (Dumort.) Endl. (1838).

Description

Perennial herbs, rhizomatous, not aromatic; leaves entire, serrate, laciniate to pinnatifid; inflorescence of usually 6-flowered verticillasters, in a terminal, condensed, spiciform thyrse, pedunculate or not; bracts imbricate, broadly ovate-acuminate; bracteoles present or not; calyx 2-lipped, tubular-campanulate, accrescent, 10-nerved, sometimes with 2 lateral keels, 5-lobed (3/2), posterior lip ± truncate, lobes short, mucronate, anterior lip with lobes triangular, upcurved, throat not barbate, ± closed in fruit; corolla 2-lipped, 4-lobed (1/3), purple, blue, cream or white, posterior lip hooded, concave, ± rounded, anterior lip with median lobe concave, usually dentate, lateral lobes obliquely truncate, tube ± infundibular, annulate within, contracted at throat; stamens 4, didynamous, exserted from tube, ascending under posterior lip, filaments curved, bifurcating at apex to form a subulate appendage, thecae 2, divaricate, distinct, ± parallel to filament; stigma-lobes shortly subulate; disc unlobed; nutlets ovoid, apiculate or rounded, ± angulate, mucilaginous.  2n = 28, 30, 32.  About seven species in Europe, NW Africa and Asia.  Prunella vulgaris L. widely naturalized in temperate and montane regions of N and S America, Africa and Australasia.

Distribution

Native to:

10 Northern Europe
11 Middle Europe
12 Southwestern Europe
13 Southeastern Europe
14 Eastern Europe
20 Northern Africa
21 Macaronesia
30 Siberia
31 Russian Far East
32 Middle Asia
33 Caucasus
34 Western Asia
36 China
37 Mongolia
38 Eastern Asia
40 Indian Subcontinent
41 Indo-China

Introduced to:

27 Southern Africa
28 Middle Atlantic Ocean
50 Australia
51 New Zealand
70 Subarctic America
71 Western Canada
72 Eastern Canada
73 Northwestern U.S.A.
74 North-Central U.S.A.
75 Northeastern U.S.A.
76 Southwestern U.S.A.
78 Southeastern U.S.A.
79 Mexico
80 Central America
81 Caribbean
82 Northern South America
83 Western South America
84 Brazil
85 Southern South America
90 Subantarctic Islands

Synonyms

Brumella Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. ed. 4 (1754).

Prunellopsis Kudô, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 34: 181 (1920).

Publication

Prunella L., Sp. Pl. 2: 600 (1753).

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Species found in RBG Kew living collections

2000-2188 Prunella laciniata (L.) L. N BSBI 45  WAK_S MP3 
1994-2824 Prunella vulgaris L.     111 08   :  111 SEED 
1988-5729 Prunella vulgaris L. var. lilacina (Nakai) Nakai N JAGS 413 F 154 0802 

Image resource

© Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew