Wood Ebony, Bishopwort, Betony
Stachys officinalis

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

The plant has underground stems. The above ground stem is 50-100 cm long. It has lines along it. There are also dense fine hairs. The leaf stalk of the leaves on the stem are 4-7.5 cm long. The leaf blades near the base are oval and 8-12 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. They are hairy. The leaves up the stem are shorter. The spikes are about 4 cm long. The flowers are purple.

There are about 15 Betonica species. Betonica are sometimes put in Stachys.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Europe, Iran, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Middle East, North America, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA

How it is used for food

The leaves and flowering tops are used to make an infusion used as tea. They are also cooked as a vegetable.

It is cultivated in China. It is mainly used in medicine.

Edible parts

Leaves - tea, leaves, flowers

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Betony, Bishop's wort, Cistac, Yao shui su

Synonyms

Betonica glabrata K. Koch; Betonica officinalis L.; Stachys betonica Benth. [Illegitimate]; Stachys officinalis (L.) Trevisan de Saint Leon ex Briquet;