Nomenclature

Species name:

Stachys ocymastrum   (L.) Briq.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

General names:

Hairy Woundwort
Yellow woundwort
Italian Hedgenettle

Maltese name:

Betonika

Plant Family:

Lamiaceae / Labiatae   (Mint Family)

Name Derivation:

Stachys = From the Greek stachus for "ear of grain" or "a spike," in reference to the spike-like form of the flower inflorescence (Latin);
ocymastrum = 'Ocymum' refers to basil, '-astr' means alike, hence the species name is related to Basil (Greek).

Synonyms:

Stachys hirta, S. divaricata, S. inscripta, S. lagascae, S. ocymastrum ssp. bicolor

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Annual

Habitat:

Mostly in Valleys

Sources in Malta:

Infrequent. Examples include Wied incita (Malta) and Wied Mgarr ix-Xini / Wied Hanzira (Gozo)

Plant Height:

20-50cm

Flowering Time:

Mar-May

An erect and herbaceous plant forming numerous basal branches and unbranched flowering stems that look like spikes. The plant is entirely covered with long, stiff, erect hairs (= hirsute), mostly present at the calyx and upper stems. Stems 4-angled in cross section - becoming more prominent in older stems and can attain a maroon/dark purple colour.

Leaves are arranged oppositely along stems and their shape varies from sub-triangular to lance-shaped to broadly oval, with the tendency that the former shape is found in leaves at the lower parts of the plant and the latter is found in cauline leaves or those at the flowering parts. Most leaves are sessile to subsessile, but becomes petiolated towards the base. All leaves are prominently pinnately veined, have serrated to crenate outline with a lining of long soft hairs; leaf blade (face) less hairy.

The inflorescence is a 4-6 flowered verticillaster - a false whorl composed of opposite cymes. Verticillasters layers are numerous and becomes well-spaced from each other, forming tall, spike-like flowering stems. Flowers are stalked and grow from axils of sessile bracts, which have the same shape as leaves but smaller.

The perianth consists of a campanulate, actinomorphic, 5-toothed calyx and a 2-lipped white/cream corolla with maroon markings. The 8-9mm long calyx has 5 long, triangular, acute teeth which ends with a bristle like tip. Teeth longer from the calyx tube.

Both lips forming the corolla are decorated and modified structures. The upper lip (6mm long) starts with a rounded, hood-like structure. Then, the edges of the lip are pleated inside forming a narrow neck, and finally it terminates into two long lilac lobes ('ears') that their edges are slightly curved inwards. The rounded edges of the hooded part are maroon. The lower lip (7mm long) is mostly glabrous and consists of an oblong, central part with two small lobes. This part, a bit more from half the length of the lip, is white and marked with contrasting purple streaks in a very decorative way ('zebra-like'). The sides are slightly curved outwards. The outer half of the lip is a notched, large, rounded lobe with inclined sides. It has a cream colour rather than pure white and no markings.

The flower has 4 parallel, purple stamens of equal length, with the outer 2 slightly diverging away. Stamens are not prominently protruding and their purple-maroon anthers are located at the hooded part of the upper lip. Pollen is yellow-amber. Most of the pistil is hidden inside the calyx. The style runs along with the stamen and is of same length. Stigma minutely bifid.

The ovary develops into 4 brown nutlets that obovoid with a rounded apex. These fall off with stem swaying without and special means of seed dispersion.

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