Stachys recta
Encyclopedia
Stachys recta, commonly known as Stiff Hedgenettle or Perennial yellow woundwort, is herbaceous
perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae
family.
is derived
from the Greek
word σταχυς (stachys), meaning "an ear of grain", and refers to the fact that the inflorescence
is often a spike
. The specific Latin name recta, meaning "straight", refers to the shape of the inflorescence.
, as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves.
This plant reaches on average 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 ) in height. It has thick, woody roots. The stems are strong, simple or branched, with slightly rough glandular hairs. The leaves are ovate-spatulate to oblong-lanceolate, with toothed edges and a long petiole. The length of of the leaves is 3–5 cm (1.2–2 ) and the width 0.5 to 2 cm. 5–20 mm (0.196850393700787–0.78740157480315 ).
The flowers are gathered in a dense terminal spike and are usually yellowish-white, stained by purple or brown spots. The calyx is 5–10 cm (2–3.9 ) long. The flowering period extends from July through October. The flowers are hermaphrodite
and pollinated by insects (entomophily
). The fruit are achene
s about 2 mm long, rounded, chestnut-brown and smooth or very finely punctured. This plant is strictly related to Betonica officinalis and has similar properties and characteristics.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
family.
Etymology
The nameBinomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
is derived
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word σταχυς (stachys), meaning "an ear of grain", and refers to the fact that the inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is often a spike
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
. The specific Latin name recta, meaning "straight", refers to the shape of the inflorescence.
Description
The biological form of Stachys recta is hemicryptophyte scaposeGlossary of botanical terms
Many of the terms used in Wikipedia glossaries are already defined and explained within Wikipedia itself. However, lists like the following indicate where new articles need to be written and are also useful for looking up and comparing large numbers of terms together.This glossary is incomplete;...
, as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves.
This plant reaches on average 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 ) in height. It has thick, woody roots. The stems are strong, simple or branched, with slightly rough glandular hairs. The leaves are ovate-spatulate to oblong-lanceolate, with toothed edges and a long petiole. The length of of the leaves is 3–5 cm (1.2–2 ) and the width 0.5 to 2 cm. 5–20 mm (0.196850393700787–0.78740157480315 ).
The flowers are gathered in a dense terminal spike and are usually yellowish-white, stained by purple or brown spots. The calyx is 5–10 cm (2–3.9 ) long. The flowering period extends from July through October. The flowers are hermaphrodite
Glossary of botanical terms
Many of the terms used in Wikipedia glossaries are already defined and explained within Wikipedia itself. However, lists like the following indicate where new articles need to be written and are also useful for looking up and comparing large numbers of terms together.This glossary is incomplete;...
and pollinated by insects (entomophily
Entomophily
Entomophily is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by insects. Several insect are reported to be responsible for the pollination of many plant species, particularly bees, Lepidoptera , wasps, flies, ants and beetles. Some plant species co-evolved with a particular pollinator, such...
). The fruit are achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
s about 2 mm long, rounded, chestnut-brown and smooth or very finely punctured. This plant is strictly related to Betonica officinalis and has similar properties and characteristics.
Distribution
This plant is a sub-Mediterranean floral element and it is widespread from Europe to the Caucasus and Asia Minor.Habitat
Stachys recta grows in lawns, in semi-dry and dry grasslands and in rocky hillsides. It prefers calcareous and moderately dry soil, at an altitude of 0–2100 m (0–6,889.8 ) above sea level.Subspecies
- Stachys recta L. subsp. labiosa (Bertol.) Briq.
- Stachys recta L. subsp. recta
- Stachys recta L. subsp. subcrenata (Vis.) Briq.
- Stachys recta L. subsp. tenoreana Bornm.