Prunella vulgaris subsp. asiatica

(Nakai) H. Hara

Carpenter Weed

Lamiaceae Edible: Leaves 175,853 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Prunella vulgaris, the common self-heal, heal-all, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth, carpenter's herb, brownwort or blue curls, is an herbaceous flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae).

Description

An herbaceous plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae) found in subtropical regions. It grows as a low herb with edible leaves.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The leaves are traditionally eaten with oil and salt.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are eaten with oil and salt.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Prunella vulgaris is edible. The young leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salads; the plant as a whole can be boiled and eaten as a leaf vegetable; and the aerial parts of the plant can be powdered and brewed in a cold infusion to make a beverage. This plant was used as a traditional medicine by the indigenous peoples of North America. The Quileute, Quinault, and Coast Salish in the Pacific Northwest extracted juice from the plant which was used as a topical treatment for boils. The Nuxalk boiled the entire plant to make a weak tea. The Nlaka'pamux drink a cold infusion of the whole plant as a common beverage. The herb, which is called xia ku cao (夏枯草) in Chinese, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat dizziness, red eyes, dry cough, and dermatitis and boils. It is also a main ingredient in several herbal teas in southern China, including commercial beverages such as Wong Lo Kat.

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, China, India, Korea, Taiwan,

Notes

Synonym not in The Plant List. It is used in medicine as an anti-inflammatory.

Synonyms

Prunella asiatica NakaiPrunella asiatica var. albiflora (Koidz.) NakaiPrunella japonica MakinoPrunella vulgaris var. aleutica FernaldPrunella vulgaris var. lilacina (Nakai) NakaiPrunella vulgaris var. taiwaniana S. S. Ying

Also Known As

Kkulp'ul

References (4)

Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 89 (As Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina)
Chen, B. & Qiu, Z., Consumer's Attitudes towards Edible Wild Plants, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. p 24 www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfr/aip/872413.pdf
Pemberton, R. W. & Lee, N. S., 1996, Wild Food Plants in South Korea: Market Presence, New Crops, and Exports to the United States. Economic Botany, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 57-70 (As Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina)
READ (As Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina)