Prunella Vulgaris
/pruːˈnɛl.ə ˈvʌl.ɡə.rɪs/noun
A common flowering plant in the mint family, also called self-heal or heal-all.
Did you know?The genus name *Prunella* is usually traced to German *Braunelle* (“brown one”), while *vulgaris* is Latin for “common,” so the full scientific name is a mix of folk naming and plain botanical classification.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
vulgāris
“common, ordinary, belonging to the crowd”
Medieval Latin / Botanical Latin
Latin
Prunella
“a botanical genus name, probably from German *Braunelle* or from resemblance to *prūnum* (“plum”) in some older explanations”
18th Century
Latin
Prunella vulgaris
“the standardized scientific name for the plant”
Modern English
English
prunella vulgaris
“the plant species self-heal, a common medicinal herb”