131582 BETONY Stachys officinalis (Lamiaceae) Height to 50cm
Upright, unbranched and downy or hairless perennial. Grows along woodland rides and in grassy waysides and hedgerows, typically on sandy or chalky soils. FLOWERS are 12-18mm long and reddish purple; borne in showy, dense and terminal heads, reminiscent of marsh-orchid spikes (Jun-Sep). FRUITS are nutlets. LEAVES are stalked and oblong, typically heart-shaped at the base but narrower up the stem. STATUS-Widespread and fairly common in England and Wales but scarce or absent elsewhere.
