Labiate ID please

[Hawk Roosting]

Hello all. For my first post, I'm hoping you will be able to help with an ID for the attached. Found recently in the New Forest, on the sunny but wet edge of a ride through plantations of conifers.

Pretty sure it's a labiate (square stem) but can't find anything in my wildflower books that's a good match.

Thanks in advance.

[aeshna5]

Welcome to WAB Hawk Roosting. You're correct it is a labiate- it's Betony, Betonica (formerly Stachys) officinalis.

[Mele]

Great plant to pick for your first post

[Hawk Roosting]

Thank you aeshna5! I had in my mind it was something like hedge woundwort so I'm pleased that I wasn't far wrong. Not sure I've ever come across betony before - along with sundew, that makes 2 species I saw for the first time on that particular walk.

[Dorts]

Hi Hawk Roosting, welcome to WAB.
There are few places in Britain with more uncommon and rare wildflowers than the New Forest. A fantastic place for botanising. Look forward to seeing more of your finds.
Dorts.

[treecreeper]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Welcome to WAB Hawk Roosting. You're correct it is a labiate- it's Betony, Betonica (formerly Stachys) officinalis.

I'm confused. The old Rose has Betony as Betonica but the new Rose puts it in Stachys....but another book older than either uses Stachys

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

I'm confused. The old Rose has Betony as Betonica but the new Rose puts it in Stachys....but another book older than either uses Stachys

This sort of thing is quite common in plant classification and your example is nothing new. It is often not just confusing but very annoying.
I fully understand, (especially with todays advances in DNA and the ability to check whether or not a plant should be in a particular genus), to find plants being moved from one genus to another. And as you have found, it can soon outdate our flora's; but most frustrating is finding after a relatively short time, a particular plant is moved back again to its original genus.
In such cases, where a plant has been moved, synonyms should always, if possible, be given.
What I find difficult, is to try to make sure, when offering an ID to a plant, that the most up-to-date name is given, though that in itself can cause confusion when the poster comes to look the plant up.
So I think we should all give synonyms if known.

I often wonder if some of these people re-classifying our plants do it just to make a name for themselves.
Dorts.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

I'm confused. The old Rose has Betony as Betonica but the new Rose puts it in Stachys....but another book older than either uses Stachys

It is confusing isn't it. Names come + go. The most recent Stace has it as Betonica.