Prunella vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (common self-heal, "Seiyoutsubogusa")

Japanese name: セイヨウウツボグサ （西洋靫草）
Scientific name: Prunella vulgaris subsp. vulgaris

[Overview]
A perennial 5–30 cm tall that forms small colonies in mountain grasslands, hills and similar places.
After flowering it sends out short creeping stems bearing several pairs of leaves.
The base of the stem branches well and creeps along the ground; it is square in cross section and has few hairs.
Leaves are simple and opposite, oblong to ovate, 2–4 cm long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide, with a few low teeth on the margin.
The leaf stalk is 1–2 cm long.
At the stem tip it produces a dense flower spike 1–2 cm long made up of clustered verticillasters.
Many bracts grow in opposite pairs on the inflorescence, and each bract bears 3 flowers.
The flowers are purple or white, lipped, 1.2–1.6 cm long, and the upper lip is helmet-shaped.
The fruit is a schizocarp.

[Uses]
The whole plant at flowering time is used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
It prefers a sunny, airy, well-drained, fertile soil.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilizing is unnecessary because too much makes the plant leggy, but for potted plants a small amount of slow-release fertilizer with equal parts of the three components may be placed on the soil from before the buds open in spring until before flowering.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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