活血丹 huo xue dan

Glechoma hederacea Linnaeus var. longituba Nakai, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 35: 173. 1921; G. brevituba Kuprianova; Nepeta glechoma Bentham var. hirsuta Debeaux; N. glechoma var. sinensis Miquel.

Stems 10-20(-30) cm, ascending, base purplish red, young parts sparsely villous. Petiole 1-2 × as long as blade; leaf blade of basal leaves smaller, cordate to subreniform, upper blade cordate, 1.8-2.6 × 2-3 cm, adaxially sparsely strigose or puberulent, abaxially purplish, veins pilose or hirsute, margin coarsely crenate or serrate-crenate, apex acute to obtuse. Verticillasters 2(-6)-flowered; bracts and bracteoles linear, to 4 mm, ciliate. Calyx tubular, 0.9-1.1 cm, villous especially on veins; teeth ovate-triangular, 3-5 mm, apex awned, ciliate, adaxial ones longer. Corolla blue to purple with dark spots on lower lip, tubular-campanulate, long-tubed corolla 1.7-2.2 cm, short-tubed corolla 1-1.4 cm, ± villous, puberulent; upper lip straight, 2-lobed, lobes subreniform; lower lip elongated, obliquely spreading, middle lobe reniform, 2-3 × as long as upper lip, apex emarginate; lateral lobes oblong, ca. 1/2 as long as middle lobe. Nutlets ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, basally ± triquetrous, apex rounded. Fl. Apr-May, fr. May-Jun.

Grasslands, forest margins, forests, streamsides; 100-2000 m. All provinces except Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Xizang [Korea, Russia]

Used medicinally.