Compared with the very common prunella vulgaris, which also occasionally has white flowers, prunella laciniata is most easily distinguished by its leaves, which are pinnately lobed rather than unlobed.
Common name:
Cut-leaved selfheal
Family:
Scientific name:
Prunella laciniata
Main flower color:
Range:
Scattered locations in southern England
Height:
Up to 20 cm
Habitat:
Calcareous grassland
Flowers:
The corolla is pure white to pale cream, with a cupped upper lip and three-lobed lower lip, partly recurved, while the calyx is divided into a broad, flattened upper lobe, with three very shallow teeth, and two lower, pointed, narrower lobes, parallel to each other. Calyces have a covering of relatively long white hairs, and are subtended by veined bracts
Leaves:
Ovate, stalked, covered with downy hairs on both surfaces. Shallowly pinnately lobed; largest lobes are towards the base
Season:
June to October
Rarity:
★★★★★
