Stachys
(the ancient Greek name used by Dioscorides for this genus or for some similar plants, and derived from stachys, a spike; alluding to the spicate inflorescence). Hedge Nettle; Woundwort. SYNS. Betonica, Eriostomum, Galeopsis (of Moench), Tetrahitum, Trixago, Zietenia. ORD. Labiatae. A large genus (nearly 200 species have been described, but probably not more than 160 are really distinct) of greenhouse or hardy, tall perennial or diffuse annual herbs, rarely sub-shrubs or small shrubs, broadly dispersed, but chiefly inhabiting North temperate and Oriental regions. Flowers purplish, scarlet, pale, yellow, or white, rather small or sometimes showy, sessile or very shortly pedicellate; calyx tubular-campanulate, five-toothed; corolla cylindric, with usually a ring of hairs inside, often incurved above, not, or scarcely, dilated at throat; upper lip of limb erect or spreading; lower one longer, spreading, three-lobed, the mid-lobe largest; stamens four; whorls two to many-flowered, axillary or clustered in terminal spikes. Nutlets ovoid or oblong. Leaves entire or toothed; floral ones conformed or reduced to bracts. S. arvensis (Field Betony), S. Betonica, S. germanica, S. palustris (Clown's All-heal), and S. sylvatica, are included in the British Flora. The species, some of which have a rather weedy appearance, will thrive in any ordinary garden soil; they may be increased by seeds, or by divisions. A selection of those best known in gardens is given below; except where otherwise indicated, they are hardy, herbaceous perennials.
S. albicaulis (white-stemmed). fl., calyx loosely ten-nerved; corolla violet, glabrous, twice as long as the calyx; whorls six-flowered, remote; racemes elongated, slightly branched. Summer. l. remote, 1in. to 3in. long, the lower ones petiolate, the upper ones sessile, all lanceolate, deeply toothed, rounded-cuneate or narrowed at base. Stem branched, 2ft. to 3ft. high, white-woolly at base. Chilian Andes. (B. R. 1558.) S. alpina (alpine). fl., calyx teeth acute, spiny; corolla purplish or fuscous-red, woolly outside, scarcely twice as long as the calyx; whorls remote, many-flowered. Summer. l. petiolate, ovate, obtuse or slightly acute, crenate-serrate, cordate at base, villous, scarcely wrinkled. h. several feet.